Harry Potter and the Sucker of Souls
by JessieRose
Summary: Yay new title! title subject to change my take on Harry's 6th year. The Minister for magic has disappeared and someone not very welcome has stepped in to take his place! Hermione is on trial for giving secrets to the Dark Side. please R&R!
1. Cuttings and Owls

Disclaimer ~ I don't own Harry Potter, surprise surprise!!  
  
A/N CONTAINS OotP SPOILERS!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!  
  
Chapter One ~ Cuttings and Owls.  
  
Harry lay on his bed, staring absently at the ceiling. Ever since leaving the train station and saying goodbye to his friends, he had remained in a silent bewilderment, only talking when the Dursleys asked him a direct question.  
  
He stared up at the swirling pattern of the white painted ceiling, not really seeing it. He was thinking of Sirius Black, his godfather. He got up off the bed and picked up Quidditch through the ages, in an attempt to distract his mind. After a few fruitless glances at the first sentence, he chucked it angrily at the wall. The thud as it hit the floor made him relax and sink down on to the floor.  
  
Why was life treating him so badly? What had he done to deserve it? He had lost his parents and now the closest thing he had to a parent.  
  
Harry Potter was due to return to Hogwarts in six weeks, but he no longer counted down the days until his return. He no longer thought only of the school. Last year he had been desperately unhappy stuck at the Durselys, but now he hardly noticed where he was.  
  
He hadn't cried, his grief was past tears. All his plans, plans of leaving the Durselys, plans of living with Sirius, had been destroyed, destroyed in the department of mysteries, destroyed by Lord Voldemort.  
  
It was at this point that Hedwig flew in the through the window. Harry didn't even notice, not until the owl started pecking at his finger. He jumped in surprise. The sight of Hedwig pulled him momentarily out of his sadness.  
  
He pulled the letter of her leg, and she flew to her cage to eat. He slowly opened it, with the lack of enthusiasm he had last year.  
  
Dear Harry,  
I hope your okay. I haven't really got a lot of time to write this. I wasn't sure if you were still getting the daily prophet or not, so I thought I better send it to you, just in case. I hope your having a good summer. Have you heard from Ron? I think he's fallen out with me over Viktor.  
If you need to talk just send Hedwig, she'll find me. And Harry, please don't blame yourself for what happened, it really was no one's fault.  
Love Hermione.  
  
Also with the letter was a newspaper clipping. He opened it with increased interest.  
  
ATTACK AT THE MINISTRY  
  
After a year of denying the truth, the unthinkable, what we all knew to be true, it has happened at last. The first attack. An attack on the ministry of magic. It was on the 20th June, (A/N I have no idea about the date!!) mid afternoon, when over ten death eaters entered the ministry. That is another show of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the power he has, that he managed to get past the thousands of wizards working there.  
  
The attack totally destroyed the department of mysteries; investigations are going on as to why there was no security to prevent this, and why that particular department was targeted.  
  
"We all knew that it would only be a matter of time before you-know-who returned." The minister said in an exclusive interview yesterday. "We must all be on our guard, suspect everyone, trust no one."  
  
(Harry grinned; the first sensible words that had ever came out of Fudge's mouth.)  
  
A few death eaters were caught, including Lucius Malfoy, a prominent member of the ministry. Other death eaters were Nott, Lestrange and Donohov. They are at the moment awaiting trial in Azkaban.  
  
Another death eater said to have been there but was not apprehended was Bellatrix Lestrange, one of the ten who escaped from Azkaban.  
  
The Dementors are no longer under ministry control, and I for one will sleep easier knowing that Azkaban is now guarded by highly skilled Aurors.  
  
There were two more cuttings.  
  
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION  
  
Death and Destruction, two words that have not been used since He-Who-Must- Not-Be-Named first rose over sixteen years ago. We have had a weary peace for fifteen years, but this has come to an abrupt end. A rude awakening for some people.  
  
There have been scattered disappearances, several deaths in both the Muggle and the magical world. The latest of these is the disappearance of a sixteen-year-old from her home in London. Everest Harmony Delvarney, daughter of Lord Aiden Delvarney and Lady Calico, was reported missing two days ago. Lady Calico is about to take a teaching post at Hogwarts, whilst her husband works for the ministry. Is this abduction a warning? The ministry is warning everyone to be alert and on their guard.  
  
Harry wasn't surprised to hear of the abduction, but he was shocked at the age of the girl. Normally Voldemort took victims, who could be useful to him, how could a sixteen year old prove useful to his plans? He unfolded the last cutting very confused. It was a page where the public could write in and have their say.  
  
Dear Editor,  
I have followed all the stories on the recent death eater attacks, and what you have failed to put, maybe by mistake I am not sure, but what is a vital and important piece of evidence. Out of all the people who fought the death eaters, Albus Dumbledore included; you missed one vital person Sirius Black. He fought nobly and valiantly, saving the people who once sent him wrongly to Azkaban.  
I think in tribute to him you should print an article apologising for the twelve years he spent wrongly in Azkaban, the two years he's spent on the run from the very people he died to save.  
I hope my words reach you in more ways then one, all I ask is to clear his name in death, as it never was in life. Thank-you.  
Tamarisk O'Dell.  
  
Harry stared at the article shocked, then angrily screwed it up. What was the point of clearing Sirius's name now? He was gone forever.  
  
The next day he was greeted by a shriek from an excited Petunia Dursley in the kitchen. He dressed quickly and hurried down stairs. In the kitchen Petunia, Vernon and even Dudley were watching the television, a look of fear on their faces.  
  
"Another attack without warning struck in this quiet area of London. Seemingly without reason this is the seventh attack in this area. Three people are dead and seven injured, one of these critical." The reporter said.  
  
Vernon Dursley turned to face his nephew. "So?" he demanded.  
  
Harry shrugged and went to the fridge.  
  
"This has something to do with your Lord Voldymot."  
  
Harry shrugged again as he took the milk from the fridge.  
  
The day was spent like the rest of the summer holidays. It was a hot day so Harry was shooed out of the house, he went to sit in the park, on the bench where he sat that night when the dementors attacked. He didn't go home for dinner, instead he just sat there watching the small children play, hearing their carefree laughter brought Harry back to the present. He forced his mind away from Sirius.  
  
The prophesy, the one found in the department of mysteries, it had said Harry would either become a murderer (killing Voldemort) or himself be killed (by Voldemort). His dreams still took him down the long corridor, but no longer into the glittery room, instead the one with the arch, the one with the veil, the one where Sirius had died. And from there Harry walked into the arch way and disappeared, on the other side Sirius was waiting for him, grinning happily.  
  
Harry was disturbed by these dreams, he almost felt drawn to go to the ministry and join Sirius, and maybe dying wouldn't be so bad. after all, he'd join his parents and his godfather. He shook his head as though to shake such thoughts away.  
  
Since returning to the Durselys, he had heard from Hermione and Ron several times, he even received the odd letter from Tonks and Mad Eye, but the one who wrote most was Remus Lupin. As it began to rain he slowly got up and returned to Privet Drive. It was empty when he returned and there was a scrawled note on the table.  
  
Gone to Marge's. Don't touch anything!  
  
He was sitting in his bedroom when the owl arrived. It carried a letter with the Hogwarts seal. Harry ripped it open eagerly.  
  
Dear Mr Potter, Enclosed are your OWL results, which you took in June. I congratulate you on some excellent results and am sure you will go far in the field you claimed interest in during your career's meeting. Term starts on the first of September and I have also enclosed suggestions for your new subjects. I must remind you that no magic is permitted outside school unless in a life threatening situation.  
Professor McGonagall.  
  
OWL RESULTS  
  
Transfiguration - E  
  
Charms - E  
  
Potions - E  
  
Defence Against the Dark Arts - O  
  
Herbology - O  
  
Care of Magical Creatures - E  
  
History of Magic - P  
  
Divination - D  
  
Astrology - A  
  
Overall score - E  
  
Total OWLs - 7/9  
  
I suggest you take all the subjects you got an A in or above. Charms, potions, DADA and transfiguration would prove essential in Auror training.  
  
Harry was shocked, especially at his potions result, he had been expecting at the most an A. he was also pleased that he had managed to scrape a P in History of Magic. Seven out of nine was a good result. The success in his OWLs wiped all other thoughts from his mind, and for a moment, just one moment, Harry was happy to be Harry Potter.  
  
A/N I know almost exactly where I am going with this! anyway please R&R, thanks. 


	2. I know why the caged bird sings

Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter  
  
Chapter 2 ~ I know why the caged bird sings.  
  
Dear Harry,  
Sorry about my last hurried letter. I thought you might be interested to know who Tamarisk O'Dell was. Well I found out that she is actually in Azkaban, maximum security. She confessed to following Voldemort, and killed her own father. But I don't know her connection to Sirius.  
  
So how are you Harry? What did you get in your owls? I got an O in potions, defence against the dark arts, transfiguration, herbology and charms. I got an E in Astrology and care of magical creatures, an A in history of magic, athrimacy and Ancient Runes. I got 10/10, I cant believe it. My average score was outstanding. I asked Ron but he refused to tell me.  
  
See you soon.  
  
Love Hermione.  
  
Harry grinned as he read Hermione's OWL results; they were what he expected her to get. He put the letter down and opened Ron's.  
  
Harry,  
  
Did Hermione tell you her OWL results? I can't believe it! An O in potions! What did you get? I got an E in transfiguration, charms and defence against the dark arts (thanks to you!) an A in herbology, potions, care of magical creatures and Astrology, then a D in Divination and History of magic. My average was A. Mum was pleased, well I got a lot better then Fred and George. I have been to their joke shop in Diagon Ally, they're making a bomb! They want to give you a cut, since you gave them the capitol.  
  
I'd ask you to come and stay, but mum says it's not safe. Dad's been named as a member of the order and is apparently the perfect target for death eaters. Sorry. See you at the station on the first.  
  
Ron.  
  
Harry was annoyed, why were people trying to keep him safe, when it was him in the end who would have to rid the world of Voldemort?  
  
And so the summer passed, with various disappearances and deaths, the main one was of course Everest Delvarney, the sixteen year old. Harry's dreams continued and he didn't even try to clear his mind. One night he woke up with his scar burning, Voldemort was angry, someone was being punished. Harry began to take a lively interest, he almost managed to push Sirius to the back of his mind, it made him feel better to be doing something. So he wrote to Remus and told him.  
  
Dear Harry,  
Albus thinks it would be a good idea if you came to stay with us at 12 Grimmauld Place for the rest of the summer. You will be picked up tomorrow night, be ready to fly at midnight. See you soon.  
Moony.  
  
At first Harry was excited at the idea of spending two weeks at the Order's headquarters, then he remembered the last time he had been there. He wasn't sure how he would feel stepping into that narrow dark hallway greeted by angry shouts from Mrs Black.  
  
The next day passed quickly and Harry was ready to go when Tonks and Mad Eye arrived.  
  
"Not as big a guard as last year, eh Harry?" Tonks said, smiling. Her appearance had changed from last time, she had long wavy brown hair drawn up on her head with two strands dangling loose, her face was longer and her eyes shone a violet blue.  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"Well, in truth, only myself, Mad Eye and Remus know about it."  
  
Harry looked at her shocked.  
  
She laughed. "We thought that the less people who knew the less things that could go wrong. Oh Albus knows as well, obviously." She replied. She waved her hands around as she talked, her small finger contacting a china plate and knocking it off the side cabinet. She jumped. Mad Eye glared at her.  
  
"Reparo." He muttered.  
  
Harry grabbed his firebolt and Mad Eye led them outside. They set off into the sky. Harry's heart pounded in his chest, the last time he had made this journey, Sirius had been alive. The journey was a blur in his mind, and as they landed he was barely aware that he had been flying. The door of number 12 materialised in front of them.  
  
"Don't ring the bell." Harry said absently to himself, as he remembered Sirius's annoyance when his mother was woken.  
  
Tonks smiled at him, pityingly. He scowled back, he didn't want pity.  
  
Mad Eye knocked, and two seconds later Remus Lupin opened the door. He had the air of a man putting on a smile, while really he was screaming inside. Harry almost warmed to him.  
  
"Come in." he said standing back so the three could enter.  
  
They walked down the corridor in silence past the portrait of Mrs Black and entered the kitchen. Molly Weasley jumped up at the sight of Harry.  
  
"Oh Harry dear how are you? was it a good flight?" she asked concerned.  
  
Harry nodded and turned away, staring hopelessly around the kitchen. His eyes rested on the table, and he almost pictured his godfather sitting there.  
  
"Well, dear," Mrs Weasley said shaking. "Maybe you should go and unpack."  
  
Tonks put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "No, Harry should hear what is said. Albus and the others will be here soon, he has more right to listen then any of us."  
  
Harry nodded. "Of course I want to hear." He said at once.  
  
Molly scowled at Tonks. "I am not sure."  
  
"Let him stay, Molly." Remus said with a touch of finality in his tone.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Albus Dumbledore had arrived. He smiled at Harry and settled down in to a chair.  
  
After a few minutes of silent, which Harry found almost suffocating, Tonks spoke.  
  
"Well?" she said.  
  
Dumbledore smiled again. "Impatience will get you nowhere, Nympahdora."  
  
The rest of the Order watched as Tonks blushed red.  
  
"Where's Snape?" Remus barked suddenly.  
  
"Ah, here comes the real problem. I have no idea where Severus Snape has disappeared to."  
  
"What about Calico?" Tonks stuttered.  
  
"What about her?"  
  
"Well wasn't he with her?"  
  
"Then you can only deduce that she too is missing." Dumbledore replied.  
  
"So what are you going to do?" asked another member of the Order.  
  
"They will return."  
  
Tonks scoffed and Dumbledore faced her questioningly.  
  
"You know who Snape is, he was accused of dark activity in the past. And they do say that a leopard never changes its spots. And Calico, well she's hardly trustworthy."  
  
"I trust them both completely." Dumblodore said with the same finality in his voice that was present in Lupin's.  
  
Mad Eye cleared his throat loudly. "There are other matters to be discussed."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Where is Voldemort now?" Harry said, suddenly.  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Thanks to the escapade at the ministry, he can no longer hide. He has come out into the open, no one can deny his return. But where he is, I do not know."  
  
There was something very unsettling to hear Dumbledore not knowing the answer.  
  
"And so our plan of action." Mad Eye began.  
  
"We wait for the enemy to strike, in the meantime we prepare. Snape's last report told of a planned attack at Hogwarts, we must be ready for that."  
  
"He's coming after me."  
  
"Arrogant!" Tonks said, smiling. no one laughed.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "We are both wanted men, Harry."  
  
"What are we going to do about Snape then?" Tonks said.  
  
"He will return."  
  
Tonks rolled her eyes, but didn't comment.  
  
The meeting continued going into things Harry didn't understand. he switched off, thinking again of his godfather. it did not seem right staying in the house when he wasn't there.  
  
That night his dreams took a different direction, it was Christmas at the Black house, there was no Order, no Voldemort. Harry was disappointed to wake up.  
  
The next day everyone from the Order had left apart from Remus Lupin and Tonks.  
  
He heard their voices floating from the kitchen, and perched himself outside the door to listen rather then interrupting.  
  
"What is Dumbledore playing at? Doesn't he realise that Snape knows everything. Where the headquarters are, who is in the Order, everything. How can he just cast it aside like that?" she demanded banging her fist on the table.  
  
"You don't trust Snape?"  
  
She laughed. "Is it that obvious?"  
  
"I think I know why. It wouldn't have anything to do with Sirius would it?"  
  
"What if.if he had stayed here that day.instead of charging of to the ministry?" she said, tears welling in her violet eyes.  
  
Remus clucked. "He left on his own accord."  
  
"He wouldn't have if Snape hadn't goaded him!"  
  
"You really think so?" Remus asked surprised. "Sirius wasn't stupid you know. He wouldn't go charging in to something because of Snape. You must remember their history, they weren't exactly friends. You couldn't keep Sirius locked up, never." He said with a smile of reminiscence.  
  
She shook her head in disbelief. "But why? why did he go?"  
  
"He always thought of Harry as a cross between a little brother and a son. Harry was in danger, Padfoot would have done anything for him. He had been in hiding for over a year."  
  
"I know it was hard, but he needn't have come."  
  
"And how do you think he would have felt watching other people save his godson?"  
  
"I don't understand him." she said unhappily.  
  
He put his arm around her. "I know why the caged bird sings."  
  
A/N next chappy is gonna be at Hogwarts, anyway tell me what yer think. 


	3. The Sorting Hat

Disclaimer ~ I don't own Harry Potter!  
  
Chapter 3 ~ The Sorting Hat  
  
Harry arrived at the station with ten minutes to go. Tonks waved goodbye to him, Mad Eye nodded a farewell, and Remus looked sadly at this face. He waved half heatedly to them, remembering the previous year when Sirius had accompanied him to the station.  
  
On the train, he chose an empty carriage and sank down on the chair. Two minutes later Luna Lovegood joined him.  
  
She smiled. "Good Summer?"  
  
He shrugged. "Best as could be expected."  
  
She nodded. At that moment Ron, Hermione, Neville and Ginny entered the carriage and sat down. Hermione shot Harry a smile.  
  
"Shouldn't you be in the prefects carriage?" he said nastily.  
  
Her face fell. "We should, but we'd rather sit out here with you, if that's okay."  
  
Harry instantly regretted it. Hermione and Ron were his true friends; they had risked their lives to help him.  
  
"I'm sorry. Hello Hermione, Ron. Hi Gin, Neville."  
  
"Its alright mate." Ron replied.  
  
"Well done in your OWLs." He said to Hermione and Ron. Neville turned away.  
  
"So how was your summer with the Order?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Okay, not a lot happened. No wait, Snape disappeared."  
  
"Snape disappeared?" Hermione said worried.  
  
"Why are you so bothered?" Ron asked, shocked.  
  
"Think what he could tell." Luna said.  
  
Hermione nodded. "Snape knows everything."  
  
"That's what Tonks said." " Well, she's right." Hermione said, indignity.  
  
"But Dumbledore trusts him." Harry said.  
  
"People crack under torture." Neville said with a shudder.  
  
Luna shook her head. "Some do, some don't."  
  
The train pulled in to Hogsmede station and the students poured out on to the platform. The carriages were waiting for them and this time both Hermione and Ron saw what was pulling the carriages. Ron shuddered as he remembered what he had said during the last summer. They clambered into the carriage without saying a word to each other. There really was nothing to say.  
  
Harry was relieved and almost happy to hear a loud booming voice calling the first years over.  
  
"At least Hagrid is here." He muttered.  
  
Hermione nodded.  
  
"I wonder what the new Defence teacher is like." Ron said.  
  
"Well they can't be any worse then Umbridge can they?" Ginny said.  
  
Luna shook her head. "What about Gilderoy Lockhart? He was secretly bewitching muggles into loving him."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes at the thought of the Quibbler article.  
  
"She's not here." Harry said suddenly.  
  
"What do you mean, she's not here?"  
  
"Remember the paper said that it was Calico Delvarney, well she's with Snape."  
  
"Maybe they're back by now." Ron said unhappily.  
  
"Maybe."  
  
As they reached the doors they were ushered into the big hall by various teachers. Once sitting at the Gryfindor table Harry noticed that Snape was missing from the teachers' table, there was also a place for the absent DADA teacher.  
  
There was silence in the hall as Dumbledore stood.  
  
"Let our first years be sorted." He said as McGonagall entered with a trial of nervous looking children.  
  
He sat down as the sorting hat began to sing.  
  
I gave you advice last year,  
You haven't heeded it,  
To your own downfall I fear,  
I am still to sort you,  
Split you up,  
Pitch you against each other,  
When you should unite like sister and brother,  
Yet sort you I must,  
Though we stand stronger together then we do alone,  
So try me on I'll see your mind,  
The best house for you I will find,  
Whether you be bold and brave,  
Then in Gryfindor you belong,  
You will go to Ravenclaw,  
If in the mind you are strong,  
Those who are cunning and sly,  
Then Slytherin would be a good try,  
Then for the rest,  
Hufflepuff would be the best,  
But before I sort,  
Listen to what I have to say,  
Remember what history has taught,  
Do not make the same mistake today,  
Together we stand tall,  
Strong and ready to fight,  
Alone we are weak, vulnerable, small,  
And in an even greater plight.  
  
The sorting hat fell limp on the stool and the first frightened first year pulled the hat over his head. The hat shouted out Hufflepuff and the boy disappeared to the house table. The rest of the students were sorted and Dumbledore stood once more.  
  
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As I am sure you will all of heard, Lord Voldemort is indeed back amongst us. If we fail to accept that simple fact there is no hope for victory. So I ask you all now to open your minds to the unthinkable, and prepare yourselves for the battle to come. Now on a lighter note, we have a new staff appointment, Professor Delvarney, who unfortunately like Professor Snape could not make it to the feast tonight will be taking you for defence against the dark arts. I must remind you once again that the forbidden forest is out of bounds. Thank you, now let the feast begin."  
  
As he sat down the food appeared on the plates in front of them. Harry found himself surprisingly hungry and ate a bit of everything. After the feast the prefects led the Gryfindors to the common room, and Harry and Ron disappeared up the staircase to the boys dormitory. As Harry sank into his four poster he felt happy, as he never thought he could be again, he was home.  
  
A/N hope you like my sorting hat song! Please R&R!! 


	4. Proffesor Delvarney

Chapter four ~ Professor Delvarney.  
  
Harry slept all the way through the night for the first time in weeks. In fact Ron had to shake him awake in the morning.  
  
"Come on, Harry, we're gonna be late."  
  
Harry dressed quickly and the two of them rushed down to breakfast, Hermione glared at them as they entered. She almost threw the paper at them.  
  
"Read that." She said, glaring.  
  
Harry and Ron glanced over the paper, too scared not to obey.  
  
MALFOY CLEARED  
  
In a unanimous decision by the courts yesterday, Lucuis Malfoy, once a school governor, currently employed by the ministry was cleared of all charges. He was apprehended on the charge of supporting he-who-must-not-be- named and an accomplice to murder. He was cleared on both of these charges through lack of substantial evidence.  
  
Lucius Malfoy, 42, has over the years made many generous donations to such worthy causes as St Mungos. His son, currently attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, received eight out of nine possible OWLs.  
  
The other people apprehended with Mr Malfoy are still awaiting trial.  
  
"What?" Harry asked as he put the paper down on the table.  
  
"Lack of evidence!? Doesn't our word count for anything?" Hermione said angrily.  
  
"Evidently not, mudblood." Draco Malfoy muttered as he walked past their table.  
  
Ron made to get up but Harry pulled him back.  
  
"Ignore him, Ron. He's not worth it." Hermione said, angrily as she scowled at his back. "Come on we're going to be late for defence against the dark arts."  
  
They set off to the classroom and cued up outside. Draco Malfoy was already there, with his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle.  
  
"I think we're with the Slytherins." Ron said.  
  
"Clever, Ron." Harry replied.  
  
Two minutes later Professor McGonagall arrived. she pushed open the door and let the students' in. as they all sat down she stood at the front of the class, with a look of annoyance on her face.  
  
"Unfortunately Professor Delvarney is not available to take the lesson, I shall be taking it for her. Please got out your parchments and books."  
  
This request was met with a groan, which was immedianlty silenced by McGonagall's menacing stare.  
  
"Turn to page three and make notes on the blocking technique." She said briskly, sitting down at the desk and picking up a quill. "I have my own work to do, so keep the noise down."  
  
It was half way through the lesson when the door opened and a young woman appeared in the doorway.  
  
She had long brown hair, with blond highlights and large hazel eyes. Her face was a picture of concern and worry, she tried to brush this away with a smile, but Harry could see through it, he had done it plenty of times in the past. She was roughly thirty-five years old, and had an air of beauty about her in a simple way. Her appearance was somewhat scatty and it was clear Hermione disapproved. The teacher looked almost fragile, and Harry doubted her ability to defend herself.  
  
"Ah, Minerva, you've been covering for me." She looked extremely tired and her robes were torn and dirty. She smiled around the classroom, with a sigh.  
  
McGonagall stood up. "How was it?"  
  
"I think you should go to the hospital wing." Delvarney said, slowly.  
  
McGonagall suddenly looked concerned. "What has happened?"  
  
"It's a wonder he's still alive. Dumbledore's down there with him now, he might have to go to St Mungos. He should have gone there first, but he so stubborn." She said, quietly.  
  
McGonagall smiled grimly. "Yes, Calico, I know. I shall go there now."  
  
Delvarney nodded, and McGonagall left the room. She turned to face her class.  
  
"I am sorry for my late entrance, class. Next lesson will be practical, I assure you. for practical ability is the most important thing in my subject, you never know when you may have to defend yourself. This year will be studying various techniques, including blocking, mirroring, counter curses, anti-jinxes and antidotes. I believe you studied dark creatures in the third year, and have been taught about the three unforgivable curses in your forth. So this year, we will be mainly concentrating on your duelling abilities. Any questions?"  
  
she scanned her eyes around the room, not a single hand was in the air. She sat back down at her desk.  
  
"You might as well carry on with your notes until the bell goes." She said. Five minutes later the bell rang out and the pupils were dismissed.  
  
"What do you think of her?" Harry asked.  
  
"What I think of her is irrelevant, did you hear what she said to McGonagall?" Hermione asked.  
  
Ron nodded. "Yeah.so what?"  
  
"The person in the hospital wing, it's Snape."  
  
"Huh? How'd you work that one out?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, it has to be doesn't it?" Hermione asked, as they walked to their next lesson, Care of Magical Creatures.  
  
"We could ask Hagrid."  
  
"He probably doesn't know, because they've only just returned." Hermione replied.  
  
"Well gather roun' that's it gather roun'. Today we gonna look at Zouligs. Now can anyone tell me wha' sorta creature a Zoulig is?"  
  
Hermione's hand shot into the air.  
  
"Yes, Hermione?"  
  
"A Zoulig is a bird like creature that can survive in any climate and environment, including under water."  
  
"Exactly, now I only got a few so your gonna av ter share. Take one each and spend the lesson getting' ter know it. they're very faithful creatures bit like phoenixes."  
  
As Hagrid walked round to examine their progress Harry pounced on him.  
  
"Hagrid, what's going on?"  
  
"Don't know what yer mean 'Arry."  
  
"I mean with Snape and Delvarney."  
  
"Oh that."  
  
"Yes that. I have a right to know. I went to an Order meeting but they didn't talk much 'cause I was there."  
  
"I don't think I should be tellin' you this, Harry."  
  
"Please Hagrid, I need to know what's going on, who is on my side." Hermione had stopped working to listen and Ron was pleading with Harry.  
  
"I'm not the one ter tell yer, Harry. Nope it shouldn't come from me, you ask Dumbledore, or Calico I bet she'd tell yer. But it cant come from me."  
  
Harry returned angrily to the Zoulig.  
  
"Why cant Hagrid just tell me, I have more right then anyone to know what's happening." He said angrily.  
  
Hermione nodded wearily. "So are you going to ask Dumbledore?"  
  
"Or Delvarney?" Ron asked.  
  
Harry shrugged. "I don't know."  
  
For potions they had McGonagall again, to Ron's delight, Snape was still in the hospital wing.  
  
As they were walking to dinner that night, a witch bumped into them.  
  
"Oh I am terribly sorry.wait aven't I seen you lot before? Oh you're the people who visited Gilderoy at Christmas."  
  
Harry instantly recognised her as the witch from St Mungos.  
  
"Don't suppose you could tell me where the hospital wing is?" she said with a smile. "I've been called out, I don't usually do house calls."  
  
"Of course we'll show you." Hermione said, as they double backed along the corridor. They reached the hospital wing and Calico Delvarney came running out.  
  
"Oh there you are, it's in here." she stopped at the sight of Harry, Ron and Hermione.  
  
"They showed me the way." The healer explained.  
  
"Very well, you three must return to dinner." She said, and with a sweep of her cloak returned into the hospital wing with the healer following her.  
  
Harry peeped round the door before it clanged shut. "Couldn't see a thing, the curtains were up. But Dumbledore was in there." He told the others as they set back off to dinner.  
  
"It looks like Snape is really ill."  
  
A/N hey, I think this is a cliffy!! Lol!! Anyway please tell me what yer think! 


	5. Fudge

A/N yes i am finally updating!! heres chapter 5...please R&R!! =)  
  
Chapter 5 ~  
  
The next few weeks were a haze of bad news. First there were the daily reports of more disappearances and deaths in both the muggle and magic world, in the newspaper. The teachers walking round school, almost as in a daze, a shocked daze. The trial of the other death eaters caught hadn't happened yet, and Harry had a sinking feeling that it was being delayed for a reason.   
  
Snape hadn't emerged the hospital wing, which Ron was glad about.   
  
"Honestly, you shouldn';t have taken potions Ron, if you hate it that much!" Hermione said angrily, as they walked out of the dungeon, having been taken once again by McGonagall.   
  
"Well, I didn't have much choice the matter." He replied with a scowl.   
  
Hermione rolled her eyes with impatience. "Ron…" she began.  
  
"Don't give me another lecture, Hermione. I have had enough for one day." he said, and stalked away.  
  
she turned to Harry. "What's wrong with him? was it something I said?"   
  
Harry shrugged. "So, what do you think has happened to Snape?"  
  
She shook her head. "I'm not sure."   
  
"But, you have an idea…" Harry prompted.  
  
"Well, that's all it is, an idea."   
  
"Go on then."  
  
"He's spying for Dumbledore, right? What if Vol…Voldemort found out?" she stuttered.  
  
Harry shook his head. "No, he'd be dead by now, Hermione."   
  
The two of them hurried along to defence against the dark arts. They arrived just as Calico Delvarney swept into the noisy classroom. It fell silent at once, she had a similar effect as Snape, through her fragilty came eveidence of inner strength.   
  
Harry shuffled down to his seat and sat. he gave a half smile to Ron, who turned away.  
  
Fine, Harry thought, if he wants to be like that, let him.  
  
"Today I'm going to tell you about the switching technique. Now it is a very popular method with kidnappers, blackmailers etc. it involves one person switching places with another. For instance one person is kidnapped, the abducter offers a switch. It works well if the person they want is heavily guarded, they kidnap a friend of the person, and hope they will agree to a switch. It has been out lawed by the ministry for obvious reasons, and anyone found forcing another into the switching spell can expect a term in Azkaban." Proffesor Delvarney told the class.  
  
"Now one of the most famous cases…yes Miss Granger?"  
  
"Does both people have to agree to the switch?"  
  
"Yes, but they can be forced using the imperlious if they don't."   
  
that night Harry's dreams returned to the department of mysteries, and he awoke sweating. He clambered out of bed and looked out of the window, sitting on the window seat, staring out into the night. He went to the common room and looked into the fire where he had seen Sirius's head appear three times. It was then he thought of an idea.  
  
He grabbed a quill and parchment.  
  
Dear Moony,  
  
Term is going okay, I am glad to have dropped some lessons. Our new Defence teacher is good, but she seems very secretive and Snape has been in the hospital wing for a week now. What's going on? I think I of all people have a right to know! Whats happening with the Order?   
  
Harry.  
  
Short and sweet. But it got the point across. Harry folded it up and left it on the table to give to Hedwig tomorrow, before going back to bed.  
  
"I wrote to Lupin, so I can find out whats going on." Harry tolf the others at breakfast.  
  
"Good idea." Said Ron, stiffly.   
  
On the other side of him, Harry could feel Hermione glaring.  
  
"What's up with you two?" he said angrily. "How do you expect to beat Voldemort, if two friends cant even get along? It's so pathetic!" he shouted, jumping up from the table and walking away.  
  
Ron got up to follow him, but Hermione stopped him.  
  
"No, Ron, let him go. He's really upset, what with Sirius and everything, us acting like a couple of kids cant be helping. Lets try not to argue, for harry's sake."  
  
Ron nodded. "Yeah, and for our sake too, Hermione. I mean how will I manage my homework without you?"   
  
She picked up her glass of water and threw it at him. laughing, she got up. "Oh, I'm sure you'd find a way!"  
  
Ron sat, there, gobsmacked, dripping wet.  
  
Harry sat in the common, attempting some homework, when Ron came running up to him.   
  
"Harry, Harry, you left before you read the paper. I think you should see this."  
  
MOONLIGHT FLICK FOR FUDGE…  
  
Amid all the disappearances, which are now so common place that some go unnoticed, there has been a second major disappearance. The first was Everest Delvarney, a sixteen year old girl from London, the reason this disappearance caused such a stir was the age and connections of the victim. But now there is a fear of the ministry been torn down from the inside, it is quite impossible to know who to trust. The minister for magic has not been in the office for three days, and is not answering owls, it is thought he may too be added to the growing list of disappearing people. This is it, the first sign of the end…  
  
Harry dropped the paper in surprise.   
  
Ron frowned. "I know, doesn't look good does it?" 


	6. The Reply

Chapter six ~ The reply.  
  
Harry was half way through breakfast when the letter came. Hedwig dropped it in front of him, snatched some food of the table and flew off to the owlery,. Harry stared at the bundle for a few moments before picking it up and carefully ripping it open. It was a long letter and Remus had clearly taken a long time to write to him.  
  
"I'm going to read it in the common room." He muttered to Hermione and Ron, and left the great hall.  
  
He almost ran to the Gryfindor common room.  
  
Settling down in a chair by the fire (which wasn't on, of course) and opened out the letter.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
I hope school is okay, Minerva told me about your wish to become an auror, it is a lot of work, but definitely worth it, and if that's what you want to do, then I'll certainly help you. so will Tonks. It's very sad here, every where I turn, every nook and cranny is full to the brim with painful memories. The Order is very busy at the moment, what with all the disappearances and deaths, trying to cover up magic from the muggles and hunting death eaters. But I suppose it is best to keep busy.  
  
I am glad Calico Delvarney is teaching you, she has a heart of gold that woman, you couldn't have a better teacher, well apart from me! No matter what you hear about her Harry, it's not true, rumours that's all. She is one of those people who are usually in the wrong place at the wrong time, that's all.  
  
Now about Snape, you're right of course when you say you have a right to know what is going on concerning Voldemort, but the mystery around Snape is mainly a private affair. And I'd hate to give out his secrets against his wishes, he, as does everyone, deserves privacy. But I'll tell you what I can, you may know some of it.  
  
Snape joined Voldemort when he was seventeen, at the time him and Calico were going out, and had been for almost two years. Do not judge them, they did it for what they thought were the right reasons, and I suppose their backgrounds had something to do with it. but the main thing is, is that they joined Voldemort.  
  
Snape had a sister, Rayola. She was several years older then him. she didn't join. Calico and Snape soon left Voldemort and returned to Dumbledore, acting as spies. It was just after Sirius was sent to Azkaban that Tamarisk was arrested for murder and connection with Voldemort. Calico thought it was Snape who commited the murder and they sperated. She married Lord Adien Delvarney, and had Everst. The point is that Dumbleodre asked them to consider returning as spies.  
  
So they did, and what they did was extrememly dangerous. They risk their lives everytime they feel the dark mark burn. Lord Aiden is also a death eater and a very jealous man. When he saw that Snape and Calico were friendly he squealed to the dark lord about the mistake Snape made on his last mission. He was supposed to be fetching Everest to Voldemort, but she disappeared before he got there. Well, Voldemort wasn't happy, and you can guess what happened.  
  
It's a good job Calico was there, but they are planning another break out from Azkaban, this time of the death eaters caught in the department of myseteries. They are also planning an attack on Hogwarts, so I am warning you to take extra care Harry, please. And don't mention this to anyone, apart from Ron and Hermione, I don't want to be responsoble for a panic. But you must listen carefully to Calico, she is one of the best to teach you to defend yourself. Practise your skills, expand them. And don't do anything rash.  
  
Moony.  
  
Harry was some what disappointed with the response, surely he could have guessed most of it. But Delvarney was a death eater! Okay so maybe there were a few things he didn't know in the letter. He pondered on the idea of telling Hermione and Ron or leaving them in the dark. He didn't even hear the bell as it rang through the castle. It was only when he looked at his watch he jumped up. He was ten minutes late to class.  
  
A/n please review!! 


	7. The Return Of Snape

A/N thanks for all the nice reviews, here is chapter seven. please R&R!!  
  
Chapter Seven ~ The Return of Snape.  
  
He ran through the corridors, cursed the staircases as they moved in the wrong direction, and made a mental note to kill Peeves as something heavy fell from above, missing him only by an inch. He was almost at the charms room when he collided straight into someone. He looked with horror to see Snape smirking above him.  
  
"Late again, Potter. Dear me, you are making quite a habit of it." he sneered.  
  
The letter was still ringing in Harry's mind. "Back from the hospital wing, sir?" Harry asked, with sarcastic concern.  
  
Snape glared at him. "Now get to class, and lets see that's fifteen points for being late." He said, as he continued down the corridor.  
  
"See you've recovered then." Harry muttered as he carried on to class.  
  
Snape certainly made his return to Hogwarts felt. At lunch time the Gryfindors were moaning heartily about a total loss of sixty two points. The teachers seemed more subdued at the head table, well all except Professor Delvarney. it was almost as though Snape was a reminder of what Voldemort could do.  
  
After lunch it was transfiguration. Harry ran up to the Gryfindor tower to get his books, he got Ron's as well and then went to Transfiguration. Justas he was turning the corner he heard voices, the voices of Delvarney and Snape. He stopped and listened.  
  
"You act pleased to see me."  
  
"No, pleased to see you alive." She replied, briskly.  
  
He sneered. "Really, as if you care."  
  
"You're right of course, I couldn't give a toss, I mean I have Aiden." She said, sarcastically.  
  
"Lucky you!"  
  
"You know, you should try and be nicer to Aiden I know it's hard, but I manage it. It looks suspicious, I mean how you decked him last time."  
  
Snape smirked, as he remembered his last meeting with Aiden Delvarney.  
  
"I'd rather you didn't hit my husband." She sighed. "I thought you were going to die."  
  
"Sorry to disappoint you."  
  
Calico laughed. "oh you haven't, but Aiden might be a little pissed off!"  
  
"And that's what I live for, to see the look on his face."  
  
"You're mad! You know that don't you. listen I don't want you to come tonight."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"You know why!"  
  
"Surprise me."  
  
"If you're there, well, you'll do something stupid, iknow you will. Remember Sirius?" "What about him?"  
  
"Look what two years hiding, running, did to him. now I lost Sirius,I don't want you tolose Rayola. For the time being she is better of in Azkaban."  
  
"Fascinating, thank you for the lecture, but I'm still coming."  
  
"We'll see what Dumbledore says then." Delvarney said, haughtily before walking off.  
  
Harry hurried to Transfiguration and managed to get their just on time. as McGonagall began talking Harry whispered the conversation he had heard between the two teachers.  
  
"What do you suppose is happening tonight?" Hermione asked.  
  
Harry shrugged. "I dunno, but I'd sure like to know."  
  
That night the trio sat in the common room. Harry and Ron were playing chess, and Hermione was doing her Charms homework, none of them were really concentrating. In the end Hermione flung her book on the table, scattering the chess pieces in every direction.  
  
"It's no good, I can't think straight."  
  
"Hermione!" Ron moaned. "I was playing that." He said.  
  
Harry grinned. "Let's just say I won."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Oh stop it you two. Do you want to find out what is going on or not?"  
  
"And how are we going to do that Hermione?"  
  
"We could use the invisibility cloak."  
  
"And go where, we can't exactly follow them.I mean.where the hell they going?" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Well, actually Ron, quite frankly I don't care where we go or what we do as long as we're not sitting here, waiting for disaster to happen."  
  
"I do wish you'd stop exaggerating!"  
  
"What do you think, Harry?"  
  
"Well, there's not really a lot we can do. I suppose we could go down, but I don't suppose we'd find much."  
  
"Fine, well in that case I'm going to bed. night." She said as she got up and stalked away.  
  
Harry yawned. "I think I'll go bed too, you coming?"  
  
"Nah, I have to tidy the bloody chess set up, thanks to 'Mione!"  
  
Harry grinned.  
  
That night Harry's dreams returned.  
  
~~~~~~ Dream ~~~~~~~~  
  
The Death Eaters stood in the cold shadow of the tower. They were awaiting instructions, there were about fifteen of them especially selected, selected for the night's work. then came the signal, the death eater symbol burned brightly in the distance for all to see. The door was blasted open and scrambling inside.shouts, screams, the flash of spells, curses and hexes. A heap of people lying dead on the floor.  
  
~~~~~~ End Of Dream ~~~~~~~~  
  
Harry woke up with a start. The pain in his head slowly subsided, and he lay back on his pillow, but did not go back to sleep.  
  
"Hullo, sleepy head." Ron greeted him as he sat down at the breakfast table.  
  
"Look, I know where it was they went last night."  
  
Just at that moment, an owl swooped down and dropped the Daily Prophet in front of Hermione. She screeched when she saw the headline.  
  
MASS MURDER AT AZKABAN NO ONE LEFT ALIVE.  
  
A/N please R&R 


	8. Murder At Azkaban

A/N I don't own anything!! Surprise!! thanks to all my reviews!! =)  
  
Note to Syvixxe - thanks for reviewing!! Tamarisk and Rayola are significant.especially Rayola. But ican't give too much away!! lol!!  
  
Note to David305 - hmmm I feel pretty stupid now! Thanks for pointing that out!!  
  
Note to Huggiebear, kaizer knuckz, SillyGillie, that good person, Neonlights, PhoenixPadfoot89, sarah, slytherin-GIRL2, Amy and Luna- Lovegood12 ~ thanks a million for reviewing!!  
  
Chapter eight ~ Murder at Azkaban.  
  
"You're having visions again? that's really bad.that's what."  
  
"Yeah Hermione that's what got Sirius killed, you don't have to spell it out!" Harry said, angrily.  
  
"Harry I didn't mean it like that."  
  
"I think you're missing the point Hermione.mass murder at Azkaban." Ron said, waving the paper in front of her.  
  
"Yes, Ron I can read."  
  
Harry looked over to the teachers' table, Dumblodore, McGonagall, Snape, Delvarney and few others were missing. In fact there were only three teachers at the table, and all looked nervous.  
  
"There was an attack on Azkaban late last night, the one hundred and seventeen auror guards were slaughtered. this is the sign of deep dark magic, it takes a powerful wizard to defeat an auror. all the prisoners were killed, apart from those associated with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The Death Eaters who were due for trial, and those convicted of supporting Him after his down fall are among those who are missing." Hermione read, she put the paper down in disgust. "Why didn't we see this coming?"  
  
"What I don't understand is that Snape and Delvarney knew about it, why didn't they warn someone!" Harry said.  
  
"Oh Harry we don't know that. I mean what would be the point of putting extra guards out if they're going to get killed as well."  
  
"Harry where you going?" said Ron, as Harry got up from the table.  
  
Hermione and Ron jumped up to follow him.  
  
"I have a right to know what is going on, after all it is me who has to kill Voldemort for you." he was speaking loudly and some people in the hall turned to watch. They had all heard about the break out by now and were deeply shocked.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione shouted as she and Ron followed him out of the hall.  
  
Draco Malfoy was reading the paper with glee. Lucius had been one of the Death Eaters involved in the raid.  
  
Ginny, Luna and Neville were whispering quietly together when they saw Harry get up. Luna got up to follow, but Ginny pulled her back down.  
  
"Leave him to Hermione, she'll calm him down."  
  
Harry was heading to Dumbledore's office. he needed to know what was going on. He almost ran down the corridor and collided with Professor Delvarney almost knocking her over.  
  
"Potter, where are you off to in such a hurry?"  
  
"To find out what happened last night."  
  
She pushed open the nearest door, it led into an empty classroom.  
  
"Come inside, we can talk. There would be no point you going and bothering Dumbledore he is a very busy man."  
  
Harry walked slowly into the classroom, Ron and Hermione followed, shutting the door behind them.  
  
"So what is it you're not sure of? I take it you have read the paper."  
  
"But Harry saw it." Hermione began, but Harry kicked her under the table. she stopped herself crying out.  
  
"Saw it?"  
  
"Saw it in the paper, before they did." Harry said quickly, he didn't want the teachers to know that he was having visions again.  
  
Delvarney's eyes narrowed, as though she suspected Harry was lying. "Well, if you have read the paper then there is nothing more I can tell you." she got up and headed towards the door.  
  
"You knew it was going to happen."  
  
She turned back. "I beg your pardon?"  
  
"I over heard you and Snape talking, you both knew. Why didn't you warn them?"  
  
"But we did warn them. Weeks in advance. All the aurors who died, did so willingly, fighting for what they believed in. the dead prisoners well there was nothing we could do about that, but they were all given a wand, as the attack started, to defend themselves with. I believe some of the prisoners killed the aurors."  
  
"So the aurors had a choice?" Harry asked.  
  
Delvarney nodded. "Of course they did."  
  
"Did you kill any aurors?"  
  
"I beg your pardon?"  
  
"Did you kill any aurors? I mean that is where you were last night, isn't it?"  
  
"I can honestly say Potter that I was not with the Death Eaters last night." She smiled.  
  
Harry nodded, even though he wasn't sure if he believed her or not.  
  
They left the classroom in silence.  
  
"What's next?" Ron asked, as they reached the end of the corridor.  
  
"Potions." Hermione replied, automatically.  
  
Ron groaned but didn't say anything. They rushed up to the tower and down then to the dungeons.  
  
Draco greeted them with a smirk.  
  
"See the paper this morning, Potter?" he demanded.  
  
"Oh I suppose you're talking about the raid on Azkaban? The one your father was involved in?"  
  
"Where's your proof Potter?"  
  
at that moment Snape arrived. he was in a very good mood, for Snape. And didn't take a single point from the Gryfindors all lesson, but this triumphant was short lived when the Slytherins were awarded over fifty.  
  
"Wonder what's happened to put Snape in such a good mood!" Hermione said as they left the classroom.  
  
"I dunno, but I'd like to find out." Harry replied.  
  
Ron shrugged. "Who really cares as long as he doesn't take points from us!"  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Go back to sleep, Ron."  
  
It was lunchtime and Hermione was still reading the paper.  
  
"You can read it over and over again Hermione, it ain't gonna change." Ron told her.  
  
"I'm not reading that, listen to this. As the Minister for magic is still missing, the ministry needs someone to take charge. There will be an election held tomorrow, for a temporary minister until Mr Fudge returns."  
  
"They still think he's gonna return?"  
  
"Well, they can't say in the paper that he isn't until they're sure. In the meantime I wonder who the temporary Minister will be."  
  
"It would be good if Dumbledore got the job." Ron said.  
  
Harry shook his head. "Nah, he won't leave Hogwarts."  
  
At that moment Luna and Ginny came running up to the trio.  
  
"We just heard Malfoy talking to Crabbe and Goyle, his father is running for Minister."  
  
A/N thanks for all the lovely reviews!! One question though people keep talking about Harry Potter and the Green Flame Torch.is that the official name of the sixth book? Sorry if I am really slooooow!! =) 


	9. The Debate

A/N thank you for the reviews.  
  
Disclaimer: - I don't own anything (I say that every time!!) actually I do own Delvarney!! =) YAY!  
  
Chapter nine ~ The Debate.  
  
The next day it had a short section in the Daily Prophet about each of the candidates up for the job of temporary minister. There were some high up people in the Ministry applying for the position, it didn't seem Malfoy had a chance, until of course the section about him was read.  
  
There was Georgia Lucas, who had worked for the ministry for thirty years, had worked in every office, and knew about the smooth running of the ministry. Then there was Paul Cyprus who had been one of the Ministers advisors and the knew the ministry like the back of his hand, he was promising an intensive search to Fudge's whereabouts.  
  
Then came Frederic Bunch, who had run for Minister last time but had lost by sixty three votes. He was promising higher wages. But there was no mention of Voldemort, well not until you got down to the section about Lucuis Malfoy.  
  
"I can't believe this!" Hermione exclaimed. "Here read this." she passed them the paper.  
  
LUCIUS MALFOY - OUR NEXT MINISTER FOR MAGIC?  
  
Lucius Malfoy, one of the most charitable men currently working for the ministry has decided to run for Temporary Minister to help us fight. Now that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned, we need all the allies we can get. We need a leader. And now we have one. Lucius Malfoy is the missing link we have been so desperately searching for. Voting for him today, will help us in the fight against Dark Magic, help us regain control of our world.  
  
Harry laughed. "No one will believe that dribble."  
  
"Harry, people believe what they want to believe. They'll think that Malfoy can really help them against Voldemort."  
  
"No one will vote for him."  
  
"We'll see."  
  
At the teachers table there were mixed feelings. Delvarney was laughing her head off at the section of the paper, Snape was silently contemplating life under the rule of Malfoy, and McGonagall was looking on with disgust.  
  
"He won't get voted for." Delvarney told the others.  
  
Snape raised his eyebrows. "You know something we don't? How do you figure that?"  
  
"Because if he does, we're screwed." She said, standing up. "See you at lunch."  
  
As he walked past the Gryfindors Draco stopped and smirked at Harry.  
  
"Looks like my father is in line for the next minister, eh Potter?"  
  
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch Malfoy." Hermione said, standing up beside Harry.  
  
"Well, he doesn't exactly have much competition, does he?" Draco said, with a snigger.  
  
"Why I wonder? Probably because he's bribed and blackmailed them."  
  
Draco's grin disappeared. "You won't dare say that tomorrow, Potter."  
  
"Oh and why is that?"  
  
"I'd be careful if I was you, Potter."  
  
"Thank goodness you're not. It's ironic really, Malfoy. Your father promising to fight against Voldemort. Wait 'til people see him for the impostor he is! He's only just got out of Azkaban on charges of being involved with the Dark Lord, do you really think they'll put him in charge?" Harry demanded, losing his temper slightly.  
  
"You seem to for get one little thing Potter, and that's Not Guilty." Draco said, as he strolled off.  
  
"He's right Harry, Mr Malfoy was found not guilty, cleared of all charges."  
  
"Through lack of evidence.surely that counts for something." Harry said, angrily. "If they elect Lucius Malfoy as the next minister then this whole world has gone insane! I mean there must be something Dumbledore could do, maybe if he stepped in."  
  
"He'd have to leave Hogwarts, and you must remember the disgrace he was thrown last year, that isn't just going to be forgotten. Lucius Malfoy has promised action, and that it what everyone wants above all else."  
  
"But him and Bellatrix.they killed Sirius."  
  
"Harry, please."  
  
"I'll make 'em pay, if it's the last thing I ever do."  
  
"It probably will be." Ron said, glumly.  
  
They walked in silence to the Defence Against the Dark Arts class room,and sat down with the other students.  
  
"Welcome class. I thought for a change today we'd have a debate on the election of Temporary Minister. You're all well ahead with your work, so I thought a break for one lesson might do you good. Also this election is a life changing situation. So would anyone like to start us off?" Professor Delvarney said, as she stood at the front of the class.  
  
Pavati Patil put her hand up. "I think the next minister should be Lucius Malfoy."  
  
Hermione looked at Harry with a look of 'I told you so'.  
  
"And why is that, Patil?" Delvarney was clearly surprised, she too had been as naïve as Harry, expecting everyone to see Malfoy for what he was.  
  
"Well, it's not a normal election like you said, life changing, and that's what he has promised. He's gonna lead us in the fight against You-Know- Who."  
  
"Yeah, lead us.in the wrong direction." Ron muttered.  
  
"Well, thank you Miss Patil, any follow up on that?"  
  
Lavender raised her hand. "I totally agree.I mean Fudge didn't do much did he, I think he's run away 'cause he can't handle being minister."  
  
"Run away? Why on earth would Fudge run away? He loved being Minister and refused to do anything that could jepodise his popularity. There is no way he'd step down, not willingly." Harry shouted.  
  
"I agree. Anyone who had met Fudge, knew him for what he really was. He was over confident, loved himself, as Potter said, I doubt he would step down of his own accord." Delvarney said, with a smile. "In that case, maybe it is a good thing that someone has forced him out, we need a good strong minister, someone who will guide us, fight for us."  
  
"Have you forgotten that Malfoy has only just been cleared on a charge of supporting Voldemort?" Harry shouted.  
  
The class flinched at the sound of the name.  
  
Delvarney smiled. "Potter I would ask you not to use that name in the classroom, although you and I maybe comfortable using it, there are many who are not."  
  
Pavati raised her hand again. "He was found innocent. And the court is never wrong."  
  
"What about Sirius Black?"  
  
"What about him? He was as guilty as sin." Lavender replied.  
  
"Actually Miss Brown, I believe Sirius was innocent." Delvarney said.  
  
Lavender turned away gob smacked and the class fell silent.  
  
Delvarney cleared her throat. "Well back to the debate then. Miss Granger?"  
  
"Just because he was found innocent doesn't necessarily make him so. I think we forget that."  
  
"Oh yeah, Granger and what about innocent until proven guilty?"  
  
"What about it? It's just a saying!"  
  
"Well, anyone with any other views? Mr Longbottom? Mr Thomas?"  
  
"I don't suppose it really matters who the minister is, as long as it someone of action instead of words." Dean said.  
  
At that moment the bell rang. "Well, it was a different lesson anyway, tomorrow it will be back to hard work. You stayed very quiet today Mr Malfoy, it quite surprised me that you had nothing to say in your father's defence."  
  
"He doesn't need me to defend him, it's clear he's the best person for the job."  
  
"Well, I wish all the candidates good luck." Delvarney said, as the students began to filter out of the classroom.  
  
"I can't believe the ignorance of some people!" Hermione said angrily as they approached the door. they were the last to leave the classroom.  
  
"Well, we must put up with it Miss Granger. Oh and Potter never give up, maybe one day we can clear Sirius's name, hopefully sooner rather then later."  
  
At that moment Snape walked into the classroom.  
  
"So who you voting for?" she asked with a laugh.  
  
A/N please R&R =) 


	10. Temporary Minister

Disclaimer ~ I don't own anything.well not Harry Potter anyways.  
  
Chapter ten ~ Temporary Minister  
  
Harry,  
  
I can't write much, I just wanted to check you were ok. I know the election didn't quite go as planned but we'll have to grit our teeth and see what happens. We're working on something at the moment, but it's gonna take a while. Hope to see you soon.  
  
Moony.  
  
Harry read the letter twice before discarding it. They were sitting in the common room early on Saturday morning when Hedwig arrived with a copy of the paper and Remus's letter.  
  
"Didn't quite go as planned?! Ha, that's a bloody laugh!" Ron said, as he re read the article.  
  
Hermione took the paper off him. "Are you gonna read this, Harry?"  
  
"What's the point? I know what it says."  
  
"Even so." she passed the paper to him and he read the front page with despair.  
  
WELCOME MINISTER MALFOY  
  
Lucius Malfoy, the newly elected Temporary Minister for magic, won by over ten thousand votes. He will act as Minister for two months, if Fudge has not returned during that time, Lucius Malfoy will take on the position as Minister for Magic on a permanent basis.  
  
At that point Harry stopped reading. "Maybe we should try and find Fudge."  
  
"If he's still alive!" Hermione reminded him.  
  
"Ten thousand votes! Bloody hell!" Ron said.  
  
"See what I mean, he tricked everyone."  
  
At that moment Snape and Delvarney strode past them.  
  
"Ten thousand! Well I didn't vote for him."  
  
"I'd be pretty scared if you did."  
  
Delvarney laughed. "The mind boggles, I mean who in their right mind would vote for such a.such a." at that moment Draco walked past.  
  
".such a wonderful man. You must congradulate your father for me Draco." Delvarney said.  
  
Draco nodded and carried on walking.  
  
"You should watch what you say!" Snape warned her.  
  
She nodded. "That was close wasn't it?"  
  
They walked off.  
  
"Well at least we know what side Delvarney is on." Harry said.  
  
Hermione nodded.  
  
"But back to the present.you know the first thing Malfoy is gonna do, is to get rid of Dumbledore."  
  
"Can he do that? I mean he must have a substantial reason and surely the rest of the ministry have learnt a lesson after last year."  
  
"Knowing Malfoy he'll probably have ten reasons!" Hermione replied. "I'll check, as Temporary Minister he doesn't have as much power as the Minister would. But you know Malfoy, normal rules don't apply to him. They'll be a time when people regret voting for him!"  
  
"We have two months, that's all before Malfoy is granted all the power he needs." Ron said.  
  
They hurried to their lessons. the first of which was potions. Snape stormed into the classroom, he was clearly in a very bad mood.  
  
"Get your books out!" he snarled, angrily.  
  
There was a frightened scurry as the students dived for their bags and pulled out their books.  
  
"I'll just collect the homework.yes Malfoy?" the politeness was forced into his sour voice.  
  
"Well, professor since my father is minister."  
  
"Temporary Minister." Snape corrected.  
  
Draco shrugged. "Same thing. So since my father is minister I was thinking maybe you should let me off my essay. I mean I have been so busy, helping with the campaign and such." Draco said with a smirk.  
  
Snape looked near to picking up his wand and making Malfoy vanish from the classroom. Harry was trying not to laugh, he had forgotten all about the essay, and apparantly so had Ron. he was looking at Hermione's with something of disgust.  
  
"If I let you off Malfoy I must let the rest of the classroom."  
  
"Not neccesarily sir, I mean my father."  
  
"Yes, yes I know, your father is minister. On my desk first thing in the morning." Snape barked as he began to collect the other essays.  
  
"That's detention tonight Potter, and you Weasley will be joining him." Snape said, as he wondered round the desks.  
  
"But sir you let Malfoy off!" Harry complained.  
  
"Don't argue Potter!"  
  
That evening Harry and Ron made their way to the dungeon for the second time that day.  
  
They threw themselves down at the front desk as Snape marched into the room. Just as he got to the front of the class the door was flung open and Delvarney stalked in.  
  
She threw a sheaf of papers down and scowled angrily. "I have had enough of that boy and his minister father, talk about milking something!"  
  
Snape smirked. "What's he done now?"  
  
"It's more what he hasn't done. He can't do my detention 'cause he's doing your essay! I'm gonna strangle the little viper."  
  
"I wouldn't." "So Mr Potter, what do you think of our new minister?"  
  
"How did he get ten thousand votes above the rest?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh come on Potter, you don't need me to answer that you were at the debate yesterday. You saw it. everyone believed that voting for him meant action. Democracy blows!" Delvarney said angrily.  
  
"You can go Potter, Weasley, I mean Malfoy got away with it."  
  
"Even if Malfoy was standing next to a dead body, a knife dripping with blood in his right hand and said I'm glad I killed the bastard, he'd still get away with it!"  
  
"I think you're going a little far. My desk tomorrow morning." Snape shouted to Harry and Ron as they left the room.  
  
And so the week continued. In the papers there was only the occasional mention of Malfoy and no hint to what he was planning next. Draco was pestering all the teachers, Delvarney wasn't the only one who wanted to wring his neck. McGonagall was the only one to have given him a detention, when he didn't turn up she took fifty points from Slytherin.  
  
"My father will hear about this!" Malfoy had threatened.  
  
"Oh I do hope so." McGonagall had replied.  
  
A/N so what do you think? Maybe Snape is a little too nice?? Eh?? 


	11. New Powers And Quidditch

A/N loved reading all my reviews, keep 'em coming.  
  
Disclaimer; I don't own Harry Potter!! xx  
  
Chapter eleven ~ New Powers and Quidditch  
  
"Hey Harry." Said Ron, as Harry sat down.  
  
"Anything about Malfoy yet?" Harry asked.  
  
Hermione shook her head. "Harry eat something, please."  
  
Harry smiled. "No thanks Hermione."  
  
Today was the first quidditch match of the season. Harry had been allowed back in the team by special permission from Dumbledore. And the first match was against Slytherin.  
  
Ron wasn't eating anything either.  
  
At that moment Hedwig brought Harry a letter.  
  
"It's from Lupin." Harry said, recognising the handwriting on the front. He ripped it open.  
  
Harry, As usual I don't have much time but I thought this was a matter of big importance. And you won't find out any other way, Minister Malfoy has requested it not be reported in the paper. Oh yes the Temporary Minister has now got full control over everything we read, and I mean everything. I saw him in Florish and Blotts destroying books which he thought didn't agree with him! But the biggest new power he has been granted is Lord Judge. There hasn't been a Lord Judge for over a hundred years, it was thought not right for someone to have that much power. At one time you could only be Lord Judge if you had been Minister for ten years, and now they have granted it to Temporary Minister after two weeks! You must remember from you're trial, that you get a vote, the equivalent of a muggle jury. But now, Lord Judge decides who is guilty and who is not, and he alone. He also has the power to send people to Azkaban without trial and sentence people to the Dementors Kiss.  
  
And that is not the worst part, he has introduced a law that minors can go to Azkaban and suffer the Dementors Kiss! So I am begging you to be careful and not do anything rash! Oh and good luck with your Quidditch Match.  
  
Moony  
  
Harry was gob smacked as he read the letter.  
  
"Come on Harry, we better get going." Ron said.  
  
Harry shook his head. "It's not that Malfoy hasn't been plotting and getting extra power, it's that it hasn't been reported in the newspaper. here read this." he passed them the letter.  
  
Hermione took the letter and read it aloud. Luna and Ginny were listening with a look of horror.  
  
"We have to get this reported in the newspaper, Luna could your father publish a piece in The Quibbler for us?"  
  
Luna nodded. "I am sure he will, if you write it."  
  
Hermione smiled. "Oh don't worry, I'll write it" she got up from the table. "Harry you better get down to the pitch, quickly."  
  
As the Gryfindor team stood in the changing rooms ready to go out.  
  
"Harry, I don't think I can do this."  
  
"Of course you can Ron."  
  
"At least Fred and George aren't here."  
  
Harry sighed, Fred and George's absence might be good for Ron, but for the rest of the team it was near disaster. They were fantastic beaters.  
  
The team flew out on to the pitch and were met by the Slytherins. The match began.  
  
"You know what Potter, you better be careful." Malfoy said as he flew beside Harry.  
  
"Huh?" Harry said, angrily. He dived down to try and get rid of Malfoy.  
  
"I meant of Granger."  
  
"What about her?"  
  
"Well, since my father is minister," Draco began.  
  
Harry sighed, he'd had enough of reminding Draco that his father was only temporary.  
  
"He has been granted a few new powers.for instance Mudblood over there could easily be slung into Azkaban."  
  
Harry pulled his broom to a halt. He stared at Malfoy with a look of utter loathing.  
  
Malfoy grinned. "Go on then, Potter."  
  
At that moment Slytherin scored a goal and Malfoy turned to watch the celebration. Harry took his chance, he lunged at Malfoy. The two boys grappled, Harry grabbed Malfoy's broom, and the two of them tumbled to the ground.  
  
The teachers hurried from their seats, the teams stopped playing, the quaffle held firmly in Katie Bell's hands. Ron flew down to the ground just as Hermione came running from the stands.  
  
Draco stood up and brushed the sand off his quidditch robes. He was unhurt. But Harry had broken his arm, his teeth were gritted with pain. Madame Hooch was talking to Draco as Madame Pomfrey was checking Harry over.  
  
"You better come to the hospital wing, dear." She said, helping him up.  
  
"Just a minute, what happened Potter? Did you try and knock Malfoy off his broom?"  
  
Malfoy stood behind her with a smug grin plastered across his face.  
  
Harry shrugged. He knew it was hopeless, Malfoy had given his side of the story.  
  
"In that case Gryfindor forfeit the game, I do not permit such disgraceful behaviour. And you shall lose fifty points for your bad conduct, Potter." Madame Hooch said, blowing her whistle. The other Gryfindor players landed with disgust.  
  
"Thanks Potter," one of the Slytherins yelled.  
  
Potter limped to the hospital wing, he had twisted his ankle as well as breaking his arm. Hermione and Ron followed behind in silence.  
  
"You better stay here for the day, you can return to your common room tonight."  
  
Hermione sat down beside his bed. "What happened Harry?"  
  
"It was Malfoy he provoked me, he said he could have any of us thrown into Azkaban."  
  
"You shouldn't have listened to him."  
  
"I would have bloody decked him!" Ron said, with anger.  
  
Harry grinned. "Oh well, I don't care about the broken arm, I just wish the game wasn't forfeit!"  
  
"Why don't you tell Madame Hooch?"  
  
"There is nothing she can do, she can't go against the Temporary Minister's son, can she?" Harry said, sarcastically.  
  
Later in the afternoon, Hermione and Ron left. There were off to the library where Hermione was going to make sure Ron did his potions essay.  
  
Soon after they left Professor Delvarney arrived. she sat down where Hermione had sat.  
  
"Are you alright? I saw the game of course, it was wrong what you did."  
  
"He provoked me!" Harry said, quickly.  
  
Delvarney nodded. "I know, Harry. We all want to wring his neck, but we can't. For the time being we have to put up with it."  
  
"It's so stupid, I mean sooner or later Malfoy's gonna shut the school right?"  
  
"It will not come to that."  
  
"How can you be sure?"  
  
"Dumbledore is still headmaster here Harry, and will remain so."  
  
"What if he is sent to Azkaban, Professor?"  
  
"Do you really think Azkaban could hold the mighty Albus Dumbledore. never, Potter, never." Delvarney said, with conviction.  
  
"So what's going on? What we doing to stop Him?" Harry demanded.  
  
Delvarney smiled. "Do not concern yourself with it Harry."  
  
"I am sick of people treating me like a child. Do I or do I not have a right to know?" at that moment Snape strode in.  
  
"I thought I'd find you here, come on we're going."  
  
"What?" Delvarney said, jumping up.  
  
"Lupin's called an emergency meeting, there is a spy in the Order."  
  
Harry got up. "I want to come."  
  
Delvarney turned to face him. "Sorry Harry."  
  
"Look Potter I know it's hard for you, but stay here and try not to do anything stupid!" Snape said, as him and Delvarney left the hospital wing.  
  
Harry scowled at the still moving door. "I am not a kid."  
  
A/N it just came to me when I started writing the chapter that Harry needed to play quidditch, so sorry that there was no build up to it, but he did practise!! =) oh and I'm going back to school tomorrow.noooooooo..so I can't spend as much time writing. So updates will probably be once a week on Saturday or something.erm.anyway enough of me.what did you think?? =) 


	12. A Dream And An Invitation

A/N here's the next chapter!!  
  
Chapter twelve ~ A Dream And An Invitation.  
  
"A spy in the Order? You sure Harry?"  
  
"Positive." Harry had returned to the common room, his arm fixed.  
  
"Who do you reckon it is?"  
  
Harry shrugged. "I dunno, probably no one we know."  
  
"But if there is a spy in the Order won't they know that Snape and Delvarney." Hermione began.  
  
"Not so loud, Hermione." Harry said, quickly.  
  
Hermione took a quick look around her. "What are we going to do, then?"  
  
"Huh? What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well, surely you're not just going to sit here and let Voldemort win, like you said before Harry we have to fight."  
  
Ron sighed. "There is nuffin' we can do."  
  
The three sat in the common room, in complete silence, but none came up with an idea.  
  
"Maybe we should sleep on it," Ron said as the clock chimed midnight.  
  
Hermione nodded, and yawned. "We'll feel better in the morning."  
  
"But I won't feel any better for losing the quidditch match."  
  
"Harry nobody blames you." Ron said, quickly.  
  
Harry glared at him. "I blame me and I'm pretty sure the whole of Gryfindor do to! I mean why couldn't I just ignore him?!"  
  
"Malfoy is a difficult person to ignore." Hermione said, getting up. She put her hand on Harry's shoulder and smiled. "I don't blame you, we all go a little mad, sometimes." And with that she waved goodnight and disappeared to the girls' common room.  
  
Ron stood up. "You coming, Harry?"  
  
"No, I'll stay here for a bit longer." Harry muttered.  
  
Ron shrugged and walked off.  
  
Harry sat watching the flames flickering in the fireplace. His mind blurred, and he fell into an uneasy sleep.  
  
"Well done Malfoy, you are doing well." a voice hissed.  
  
"Thank you my lord." Malfoy replied.  
  
"We now have complete control of Azkaban."  
  
"My Lord, why do we need Azkaban?"  
  
"No one will venture near there again, the aurors are dead, the convicts killed."  
  
Malfoy nodded, even though he didn't really understand.  
  
"We have total control over the ministry, now all we need is Hogwarts."  
  
"We have Delvarney and Snape there." Malfoy answered.  
  
"Hogwarts will never be ours whilst Dumbledore is headmaster." Voldemort said, coldly. There was a wild glint in his eyes.  
  
Ron shook Harry awake. "Come on, mate."  
  
Harry jumped up, the fire had burnt out and sunlight was shining through the closed curtains.  
  
Hermione was standing behind him with a worried look on her face.  
  
"I need to speak to Dumbleodre."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's Voldemort, he's using Azkaban as a hideout, he's wants Dumbledore out of Hogwarts." Harry said, quickly. He grabbed his bag and ran to the entrance to the common room. Hermione and Ron weren't far behind him.  
  
"Harry, what's going on?"  
  
Harry quickly told them about the dream and what he had heard.  
  
Hermione stopped dead. "Harry."  
  
He spun round. "We don't have time for this Hermione, we have to get to Dumbledore."  
  
"Harry, Voldemort is a powerful wizard, maybe you saw what he wanted you to see."  
  
Harry scowled. "I've had enough of this Hermione." Harry continued walking but failed to look where he was going. He bumbped straight into Snape and Delvarney.  
  
"Potter." He said, angrily.  
  
Delvarney managed to hide a smile. "And where are you off to this early in the morning?"  
  
Harry was about to say the owlery, he didn't want Snape knowing what had happened. But Hermione beat him to it.  
  
"Harry had a dream last night, about.about you-know-who." She said quickly.  
  
Harry scowled at her.  
  
Snape looked surprised. Delvarney's smile disappeared. "What happened Potter? What happened in your dream?"  
  
"Nothin' it was stupid. Not worth mentioning." He said, not looking at them.  
  
"I'll be the judge of that." Snape said, coldly. "What happened?"  
  
Harry sighed. "It was Voldemort."  
  
"Don't say his name." Harry hissed.  
  
Delvarney gave a sympathetic smile. "Call him, you-know-who Harry."  
  
"Why? I'm not scared of his stupid name."  
  
"We are not all as fortunate as you, Potter." Delvarney said.  
  
"It was Him and Malfoy, they were talking about Azkaban, He's gonna use it as a hideout. He said he's got control of the ministry and is now looking towards Hogwarts, he plans to get rid of Dumbledore." Harry said, quickly.  
  
"Azkaban, as a hideout? That's quite clever actually." Delvarney said.  
  
"When you have finished admiring the Dark Lord, Calico." Snape said, annoyed.  
  
"Sorry, you're right let's go and speak to Dumbledore."  
  
"I'll come too." Harry said.  
  
"No," Sanpe and Delavrney said together.  
  
"Sorry Harry, I'm sure Dumbledore will talk to you later." Delvarney added, as the two of them left.  
  
"There Hermione, are you bloody satisfied?" Harry demanded.  
  
"Harry, I won't say I'm sorry, 'cause I'm not, I still think I did the right thing!"  
  
"The right thing?! Now we won't find out what they say, it was my dream and I've been cut out of it. Can you ever keep that big mouth of yours shut? Thanks a bunch Hermione." Harry walked off, leaving Ron and Hermione staring after him.  
  
"He didn't mean it, 'Mione." Ron began.  
  
"Oh spare me Ron," she said.  
  
"Hey there is no need to take it out on me."  
  
"No, I'm sorry. but I did the right thing, I know I did. I had to stop Harry barging in on Dumbledore."  
  
Ron nodded. "Well, I'm gonna go after him, make sure he's okay."  
  
"Yeah you do that, Ron. Run after him like his shadow. I won't." She said, walking off in the opposite direction.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes and set off down the corridor after Harry.  
  
Harry and Ron went down to breakfast, Hermione was already there, when they sat down she looked away and started to talk to Ginny and Luna.  
  
Harry ignored her and began to eat a piece of toast when Hedwig landed in front of him.  
  
He ripped open the letter, but didn't recognise the handwrting on the front.  
  
Hey Harry, What you up to? Hope school is okay? Remus is a bit busy at the moment so I said I'd write. Anyway getting to the point, I was wondering if you, Ron and Hermione would like to come and spend Christmas here with us? We'd all love to have you, and it would be nice to have a sane person in the house! Reply ASAP and hope to see you soon.  
Love Tonks.  
  
Harry smiled, for the first time in days. Spending Christmas at 12 Grimmauld Place would mean he'd finally find out what was going on. It was more then he had hoped for.  
  
He passed the letter to Ron and smirked nastily at Hermione.  
  
"Cool! I mean about time too!" he said, passing it back.  
  
Harry almost threw the letter at Hermione, who picked it up, trying to hide the tears in her eyes.  
  
"Well?" harry demanded.  
  
"I don't think so." she said, quietly, passing it back.  
  
"Oh come on Hermione, it won't be the same without you, you have to come." Ron said.  
  
Harry shook his head. "You heard her Ron, she doesn't want to come."  
  
It was at lunch time when Luna came running in. "Hey look, they have published your article, Hermione."  
  
Hermione took the paper she was holding out, and Ron and Harry stood behind reading over her shoulder.  
  
MALFOY MAGIC  
  
And so it seems are new 'Temporary Minister' has more power then Fudge had during ten years in office. New powers have been kept from the Daily Prophet, and kept from all none ministry officials. Is it fair to adopt such secracy during matters which concern the whole nation? Apparantly our new 'Temporary Minister' has been granted Lord Judge. A position given to only the most trusted and reliable Minister's.  
  
Minister Malfoy now has complete power over Azkaban, the final decision during trials, and the ability to grant the Dementor's Kiss. Can we really trust one man with such power?  
  
Hermione squealed. "I've realised something, oh it's been straing us in the face. I mean why would Malfoy want to be Lord Judge? Where's the profit in that? Well he find Death Eaters not guilty, but not only that. He can arrest Voldemort's enemies, send them to Azkaban, where the Dark Lord will be waiting, in his new found hideout."  
  
"You're right!" Harry said. "That means that any one of us."  
  
Hermione nodded. "Any one of us could be on their way to Azkaban." 


	13. Grimmauld Place

A/N Quite a bit happens in this chapter.well you meet a new character.anyway please R&R!!  
  
Chapter thirteen ~ Grimmauld Place.  
  
Christmas was approaching. Hagrid had brought in the tree to decorate the hall for the students who were staying. Snow had began to fall on the grounds, and there were constant snow ball fights between lessons. Most muggle borns were going home, but a lot of wizard families had opted for their children to stay at school, thinking they would be safer at Hogwarts.  
  
Harry and Ron were getting ready to leave. "You're sure you're not coming Hermione, it's not too late to change your mind." Ron said.  
  
"Stop hassling her Ron, it's clear she doesn't want to come." Harry protested. Hermione stood near by trying to fight the tears in her eyes, there was nothing she wanted more then to go and spend Christmas with Harry and Ron at 12 Grimmauld Street. But Harry was hardly talking to her, and she was too stubborn to say sorry, especially when she couldn't see what she had done wrong. Ron sighed. "Well, in that case, if Hermione ain't coming, then I'm not." He said.  
  
"Ron?"  
  
"Ron, you don't have to."  
  
"This is so stupid, will you two just say you're bleeding sorry, so we can go?" He demanded. "'Cause I don't want to be with either of you 'til you make up." He said, banging his trunk shut and walking off.  
  
"Ron's right, this is silly. We shouldn't be arguing like this. You remember what the sorting hat said? Together we stand tall, strong and ready to fight, alone we are weak, vulnerable, small, and in an even greater plight."  
  
"How do you remember stuff like that?" Harry said, with a grin.  
  
"I don't know what I have done Harry, but whatever it is, let's just forget it, eh?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Besides, it wouldn't be Christmas without, Hermione." He walked away leaving her blushing.  
  
They boarded the Hogwarts Express at Hogsmede station and hurried to find an empty compartment. Malfoy was sitting alone in a carriage. Hermione stopped when she saw him. the others carried on.  
  
"Where are your cronies Malfoy, they staying behind?"  
  
Malfoy turned to face her. "Just leave me alone, Mudblood." His eyes were slightly red.  
  
"Have you been crying?"  
  
Malfoy scowled. "I've got something in my eye, that's all."  
  
Hermione shrugged and left him. she reached the carriage where Ron and Harry were waiting for her.  
  
"Where have you been?"  
  
"Nowhere." She didn't feel it was right to tell them about Draco, after all she didn't know for sure if he had been crying.  
  
The train journey passed quickly as they were getting off Hermione looked for Draco but she couldn't see him in the crowds as they filtered out on to King's Cross Station. Tonks was standing waiting for them, her hair was brown had the appearance of not being brushed for several weeks. Her eyes were missing their usual spark and she had no welcoming smile for the trio. She was dressed in ordinary muggle clothes, but stood out from everyone else but her look of misery.  
  
Hermione ran to her. "Tonks, what has happened?"  
  
"It's not Moony, is it?" Harry demanded.  
  
"Or mum?" Ron said.  
  
Tonks shook her head. "We can't talk here, we'll talk when we reach number 12." She said, and led them out to a car in the car park.  
  
"Can you drive?" Hermione asked, dubiously.  
  
Tonks shook her head. "But I can put it on auto driver."  
  
The group clambered into the car and Tonks pulled out her wand, she muttered a few words and the car sprang into action. she rested her hand on the wheels to make it appear as though she was driving. She was quite a good actress really and the ability to change her appearance at will would obviously be in her favour.  
  
"Well, here we are." She said, when the car pulled into the drive way. The four got out and Remus appeared at the door to help with the trunks. He led them in to the dimly lit hall, and memories of his godfather came rushing back to Harry, and he felt as depressed as Tonks looked. They sneaked past the picture of Mrs Black and sat down in the kitchen.  
  
"So, how's school been?"  
  
"Before we go into all that, tell me what's been happening here. I mean, why is Tonks so upset? And did you catch the spy?" Harry demanded.  
  
Tonks looked towards Remus and tears appeared in her eyes. "Oh Harry there was no spy, only a spy for us, she would never have served Him, never!" Tonks gasped.  
  
Remus put his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe this isn't the best time."  
  
"I have a right to know." Harry said. (a/n how many times has he said that!!??)  
  
"We heard news that you-know-who had planted a spy in the order, so when we held our meeting, someone confessed that you-know-who has asked them to act as spy. Believe me when I say they were shocked to see Calico and Severus here." "Who was it?" Harry asked.  
  
"None other then Narcissa Malfoy, herself. She was shocked when she heard of.of Sirius's death. She couldn't believe that her own sister could do something like that. So she joined the Order, to fight in secret against Him. He asked her to act as spy, but she promised to remain faithful to us, and I for believed her. Of course, it wasn't up to me."  
  
"Who had the final decision?" Hermione asked.  
  
Tonks wiped her eyes. "It was Calico and Snape, they were running the biggest risk, I mean if Naricssa had snitched on them.but Calico believed her and so she stayed."  
  
"And she broke her promise." Harry guessed.  
  
Hermione shook her head. "No I don't think she did. What happened?"  
  
"Well, she brought us some very useful information, that's how I found out about the New Powers granted to Malfoy, she told us exactly what he was planning next, so we could always stay two steps ahead." Moony told them.  
  
"Not that it helped her." Tonks said, bitterly.  
  
"But of course it was only a matter of time until Malfoy found out" Moony continued.  
  
"I bet he didn't like that!" Ron said. "So is she staying here then?"  
  
"Are you mad?" A voice said, from the doorway. "Narcissa is dead, do you really think Malfoy would leave her alive?"  
  
The group spun round to where a forty year old woman was standing by the door. She stepped into eerie dim lit kitchen and stared at Harry. She had dark brown, almost black, wavy hair, and her eyes were a similar colour.  
  
"That explains why Malfoy was so upset." Hermione said to her herself. No one heard as they were all too busy watching the new arrival.  
  
"Rayola, weren't you supposed to stay out of sight?" Tonks asked, with a sigh.  
  
"Oh was I?" I can't remember."  
  
Harry was unable to take his eyes away from hers. There was something in them, something familiar. And when he heard her name it all clicked into place. Why the look in her eyes was familiar, he had seen it in Sirius's; it was the haunted look of Azkaban.  
  
Tonks got up. "Come on, I'll take you back upstairs."  
  
"Where am I?" She demanded.  
  
"Rayola, calm down, your brother will be here soon."  
  
"I don't have a brother." She said, staring around the kitchen, wildly almost frantic.  
  
"I'll tell him you said that, I think he'll be very offended." Tonks said, as she led the woman from the kitchen.  
  
"Who's she?" Ron asked, after they had left.  
  
Moony stood up. "Rayola Snape, Snape's older sister. She went to Azkaban for murder, it sent her mad." He said, walking over to the window.  
  
"But everyone in Azkaban died?" Hermione said.  
  
Moony shook his head. "Narcissa was there to warn us before hand. We were too late to save the aurors and prisoners but Snape and Calico between them managed to smuggle Rayola out and bring her here. They were going to take her to Hogwarts at first. But then they discovered her mental problems, I mean can you imagine Rayola in Hogwarts, she would have wondered off, got herself lost.no she had to come here. It's going to be quite a house-full for Christmas." 


	14. Christmas Shopping

Disclaimer. I don't own HP.  
  
A/N wow!! I have so many nice reviews!! Thank you everyone who reviewed, I love you all!! =)  
  
Chapter fourteen ~ Christmas Shopping  
  
That night the boys lay in bed, and Hermione had sneaked into their room so they could all talk.  
  
"I can't believe that Malfoy killed his own wife."  
  
"I can," Hermione said darkly. "It's like what Hagrid said once, nothing matters to them any more only serving the Dark Lord."  
  
"Suppose. Maybe that's why Malfoy juniour is so unbearbale, I mean with a father like that." Ron said.  
  
Hermione nodded absently, she was still thinking about Draco, as he was on the train, a lonely boy crying for his mother.  
  
"Harry you okay?" Ron asked.  
  
Harry nodded. "Yeah." He was thinking about the mad glint of Rayola's eyes, the look he had seen in Sirius's.  
  
"I'm glad I'm here." Hermione said suddenly.  
  
"Huh?" Harry said, breaking from his daydream.  
  
"Well, if I could chose anywhere to be right at this moment, it would be with you two here at Grimmauld Place."  
  
Harry smiled. "Thanks, Hermione."  
  
Ron grinned. "I'd like to be queing up to buy tickets to the next quidditch world cup."  
  
Hermione picked up a cushion and hit him with it.  
  
"Honestly, Ron!"  
  
"What?" He asked, laughing.  
  
The next morning the three went down to breakfast together to find Rayola sitting alone at the table.  
  
She grabbed Harry as he walked in.  
  
"It's a trap, they've locked us in, there's no way out. We're all gonna die!" she screamed. Harry tried to free himself from her clasp.  
  
Ron was hiding a grin and Hermione was looking almost scared.  
  
"Don't let them fool you, they may look nice, but on the inside they're waiting, waiting to pounce, waiting to kill!"  
  
"Rayola." Came a stern voice from the door. the three looked up to see Snape standing in the doorway. "Shut up before you wake up Mrs Black."  
  
Rayola reluctantly let go of Harry, who then retreated away as far as possible. She stared down at the table for a few minutes, then got up.  
  
"I'm not mad you know." She said, as she walked over to her brother. "If you ask me, I'm the only one who's sane is this loony bin." She said, throwing her arms up in the air.  
  
At that moment Tonks walked in, she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Rayola.  
  
"Come on, Ray. You know you shouldn't be down here!" Tonks took hold of her arm, but Rayola shrugged her off.  
  
"I'm not mad, not stupid!" she said, as she walked from the room. Tonks turned to Severus.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Spare me!" he snapped and walked from the kitchen.  
  
Tonks sighed. She looked over at Harry and the others with a grim smile. "I'm supposed to be looking after her. Poor Rayola she doesn't know where she is half the time, and when she does she doesn't know why she's there." Tonks sighed again. "Well, at least she is still alive."  
  
She took a piece of toast from the rack on the table. but flung it back down again. "I better go and check on her." she said, glumly.  
  
Hermione looked over at Harry, and Ron stifled a laugh.  
  
"You ingrates, squatting in my house.I got rid of my son for a this! Vermin, that's all you are." Mrs Black yelled from the hall.  
  
"We're livin' in a flaming mad house." Ron muttered.  
  
Harry got up.  
  
"Harry."  
  
"How can she say that about.about him?" he marched out of the kitchen and flung open the curtain concealing the picture.  
  
"Well, well , well, what have we here?" She grumbled.  
  
"Sirius was an amazing person, how dare you say those things about him. He's worth a million of you and more. He gave his life so we could live. You're scum that's what you are!" Harry shouted at the shocked Mrs Black. Before she could reply he pulled the curtains shut with a snap.  
  
"What's going on?" Snape shouted angrily down the stairs.  
  
Rayola ran down, and stared with her haunted eyes straight at Harry.  
  
"Sirius." She choked. "Sirius is dead."  
  
Harry nodded. Hermione and Ron were standing behind him.  
  
"I'm sorry." he said. "Did you know him?"  
  
Rayola smiled, and when she did it lit up her whole face, the haunted look almost vanished from her eyes, she looked human again. She nodded happily, as she saw Snape walking down the stairs with a terrified Tonks, and a tired Moony.  
  
"Sirius and I, we were great friends. But he has gone with Narcissa, so he will be happy." She said, mystically. "Narcissa loved Sirius, she often told me so. She was such a gentle person, wouldn't hurt a fly." Snape put his hand on Rayola's shoulder, it was almost a warning to stop her talking. She looked at him and he took her hand and guided her back up the stairs.  
  
As she retreated to her bedroom Harry heard her mutter, "Narcissa and Sirius are together at last." Moony yawned and looked at Harry. "I take it, that it was you, shouting at Mrs Black."  
  
Harry nodded. "She needed to be told."  
  
Hermione smiled. "Come on, Harry, let's go and have breakfast."  
  
Harry allowed himself to be led back into the kitchen just as Rayola had been led up the stairs. It was almost as though they were being kept apart.on purpose.  
  
Later that day Moony took the trio down Diagon's Ally to do some Christmas shopping. Tonks was left to look after Rayola, and Snape had some 'business' to attend to.  
  
Harry and Ron spent over an hour in the Quidditch supply shops, Harry found himself staring at the Firebolt, remembering the generous gift off his godfather. Hermione pulled them away to Florish and Blotts.  
  
"Don't buy me a book this year Hermione." Ron said, with a groan.  
  
She sighed. "I wasn't planning to Ron, but you can buy me this if you like."  
  
She held out a book on defensive magic, Harry grabbed it off her. "I wouldn't mind this, myself."  
  
Harry went into the pet shop (A/N the place he bought Hedwig, sorry I can't remember the name, Eptorium Owlery, or something like that!!) he looked around at the cages and various gifts he could buy for Hedwig. Hermione was waiting outside. It was standing there, holding bags full of books that she saw Draco again. this time he was with a girl about twenty. They were walking along, and Draco looked almost happy. Hermione shrank in, she didn't want Draco to see her.  
  
"Hey who's Malfoy with?" Ron said, as he emerged from the shop.  
  
"Mal." He began.  
  
Hermione threw her hand in front of his mouth. "Have a bit of consideration Ron, the boy has just lost his mother!" she hissed.  
  
Harry emerged carrying a bundle of food treats for Hedwig. Moony had gone of to get a drink at The Leaky Caldron and they were to meet him there in an hour.  
  
"I know," Ron said. "Why don't we go and see Fred and George?"  
  
"Oh yeah, I forget they had a shop down here, have you been there before?"  
  
"Once, with mum. She went to inspect the premises, she refused to lose them like she lost Percy. After a while she agreed if that's what they want to do and they have the money for it, let them do it." Ron said, leading them down a side street. at last they came to a stop outside a grubby little shop, hardly noticeable.  
  
Ron pulled his friends inside.  
  
It was a dimly lit shop with shelves covered with boxes lining the walls. There was an old counter at the back of the shop and behind that a door leading to the storeroom. Ron walked up to the counter and rang the small bell. Meanwhile Harry and Hermione were looking around the shop with interest.  
  
"How can we help." Fred began as he appeared from the store room. "Oh it's you." he muttered.  
  
"Well, you could be a little bit pleased to see me." Ron said, angrily. "I just brought Harry and Hermione to see the shop."  
  
Suddenly there was a loud bang from the store room.  
  
"What's going on?" Hermione said, slightly disapproving.  
  
"Oh it's George, testing out some new products." Fred said, quickly closing the door.  
  
"So how's business?" Harry asked.  
  
Fred grinned. "Well, definitely better since Christmas is nearly here, I can tell you!"  
  
Hermione screamed as she picked up a box and a snake jumped out at her. it slithered along the floor before disappearing into thin air.  
  
Fred groaned. "Oh 'Mione they cost ten galleons."  
  
She blushed and fumbled for her purse. "I'll pay you back."  
  
Fred shook his head. "It don't matter."  
  
"You sure."  
  
Fred grinned. "'Course I'm sure, it's my business in't it?"  
  
"Have you been to number twelve recently?" Harry asked.  
  
Fred nodded. "Yeah, you're staying there, ain't you? mum wasn't very happy 'bout that you know. Something to do with that Rayola."  
  
Hermione nodded. "Snape's sister."  
  
"That's right, well she's a bit round the twist really, ain't she?"  
  
"She's harmless enough." Hermione said, quickly.  
  
"Huh? She went to Azkaban for murder, have you forgotten that?"  
  
"Well, Sirius went to Azkaban for murder, but he wasn't guilty, or dangerous.well he wasn't guilty." Hermione persisted.  
  
Harry turned away at the mention of his godfather.  
  
"Yeah, Hermione but it doesn't mean that everyone in Azkaban is innocent."  
  
"Nor guilty, you should learn the facts before you judge someone."  
  
"You forget one thing Hermione, I was there, I asked Rayola if she'd done it. Ask her if you don't believe me. She said that she'd done it, and was proud o' the fact!" 


	15. Christmas

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter (surprised??!!)  
  
A/N okay this chapter is kinda short but I do have a History Essay to do for Monday!! Er.anyway tell me what think and thanks for all the nice reviews!! =)  
  
Chapter fifteen ~ Christmas.  
  
Harry was woken up early on Christmas morning.  
  
"Wake up Harry, mum's here and she's brought presents."  
  
Harry rushed to get dressed and the two went down the stairs, crept down the hall and into the kitchen where Mrs Weasley, Ginny and Hermione were sitting at the table.  
  
Tonks was at the sink washing the dishes with a flick of her hand. Moony was watching them from the corner.  
  
"Where's Snape?" Ron said, grabbing a piece of toast.  
  
"'Morning Ron, hello Harry dear." Mrs Weasley said, with a smile.  
  
"He's got some business to see to." Moony said.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Ron, Harry." Hermione said producing to wrapped parcels.  
  
They spent the morning opening presents. There were a lot of defence books from various people, including Hermione. The floor had vanished under a carpet of brightly coloured wrapping paper. Later in the morning Snape walked in grumbling at the state of the floor. He was only there for a few moments when there was footsteps down the stairs.  
  
Delvarney appeared at the door with a tired Rayola. She yawned, sleepily at the group and starred around not recognising them.  
  
Delvarney smiled at the group. "Come on Ray."  
  
Snape frowned at her.  
  
"I figured that Christmas was about family, and friends, so why shouldn't Rayola join us. Give her the present, Severus."  
  
Snape held out a neatly wrapped box. Rayola took it and ripped it open. Instead was a beautiful diamond necklace. Rayola laughed with pleasure at the sight of the glittering gems.  
  
She threw her arms around Snape's neck. He was surprised but not displeased.  
  
Delvarney smiled. "Do you like it Rayola?" she stepped into the room, carefully avoiding the wrapping paper.  
  
"So Harry, good Christmas?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Yes, Thanks, Professor."  
  
"I suppose you have heard, I mean Moony must have told you. The death of poor Narcissa Malfoy."  
  
"Death?" Rayola said, angrily. "You mean murder."  
  
"Like you can talk!" muttered Ron.  
  
"What was that, Weasley?" Snape barked.  
  
"Well, Rayola's a murderer, ain't she?" he shouted.  
  
"Ron." Mrs Weasley said, appalled.  
  
"Ron!" Hermione cried. "Weasley!" Snape yelled.  
  
Ron got up. "I'm going, sorry for speaking the truth."  
  
There was an eerie silence as Ron left the room. Rayola stepped forward. "You're all dying to ask it, I'll put you from your misery. Yes I did it, I killed my father, and I'm glad I did!" she yelled.  
  
No one knew quite what to say. Hermione and Ginny blushed, Mrs Weasley and Tonks turned away, but Harry stared straight into her haunted eyes.  
  
Snape grabbed her and pulled her back.  
  
She screamed. "No, you will not stop me, not this time.not 'til you tell the truth."  
  
As she spoke she seemed more normal, the dizziness disappeared from her voice, and the fear almost fell from her eyes. She turned from the room and walked up the stairs.  
  
Snape stared after her.  
  
Delvarney sighed. "Merry Christmas." She said, lifting a glass of wine, with a smile.  
  
"Merry?" Snape sneered.  
  
"I think not. Poor Narcissa, dead." Mrs Weasley choked.  
  
"You-know-who getting stronger." Ginny said.  
  
"Not knowing who to trust, who is your enemy and who is your friend." Tonks muttered.  
  
"Stuck here in Grimmauld Place." Moony replied.  
  
"Malfoy as minister, ready to throw us into Azkaban." Hermione added.  
  
"Sirius murdered." Harry whispered.  
  
"This is not a merry Christmas." Mrs Weasley said. "And we may not live to see another." 


	16. Tamarisk O'Dell

A/N thought it was about time I updated!! I think I updated like a week ago.So please R&R.oh and this chapter is kind of confusing.it confused me!!  
  
Chapter sixteen ~ Tamarisk O'Dell  
  
A week after the dismal Christmas the trio were packing their trucks, preparing to go back school.  
  
Mrs Weasley had refused to speak to Ron unless he apologised to Rayola. Ron refused, so Mrs Weasley had left not talking to her son. Snape had returned to school, Rayola rarely left her room, and Tonks had to look after her.  
  
"Maybe you should have apologised." Hermione said.  
  
Ron shrugged. "No way! I didn't do anything, I just spoke the truth."  
  
"Some times you need to compromise." Hermione replied.  
  
Harry wasn't listening, he had just found his father's invisibility cloak, and was running the soft folds through his fingers.  
  
As they were talking there was a knock at the door. Mrs Black started shouted, and the three ran to the stairs to see who was there. Standing at the door was a twenty year old girl, her hair was silky blond and she was thin and pretty.  
  
"Bloody hell!" Ron said.  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
"That's her."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"The girl who was in Diagon Ally with Malfoy." Ron said. "Me and Hermione saw 'em there."  
  
"Should we warn Moony?"  
  
Hermione nodded. "She might be a spy."  
  
"But then she might not, you can't judge people."  
  
"Shut it Ron."  
  
"But that's what you said, 'Mione."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "Come on."  
  
As they got down the stairs, Moony had welcomed the girl into the kitchen. The three burst in and stood awkwardly as Moony stared at them.  
  
"Have you packed then?" He asked.  
  
Hermione nodded.  
  
"We heard the door bell and came to see who it was." Harry explained. He shut the door to cut out of the cries of Mrs Black.  
  
"Oh, right. Well this is."  
  
The girl was standing next to Moony, staring at them diafently almost daring them to say something.  
  
"I'll introduce myself." She said, stepping forward. "My name is." at that point the door was flung open and Rayola ran in, she flung her arms around the girl. Tonks stood watching, trying to hide a grin.  
  
"Tamarisk!" I can't believe you're here!" she said, happily.  
  
Tamarisk grinned as Rayola let her go. "I'm Tamarisk O'Dell."  
  
Harry shook her hand, so did Ron and Hermione. They stood at the door unsure what to say or do. The name Tamarisk O'Dell rung a bell in Harry's mind, but he couldn't think where.  
  
Rayola and Tamarisk sat down and started talking. Tonks walked over to Lupin and whispered something in his ear. He nodded with a smile.  
  
"Maybe you should go and finish packing, I'll be up in a minute." Tonks said, hinting.  
  
Harry nodded and the three of them left the room. Tonks wasn't far behind them.  
  
"Tonks, she's a spy."  
  
"We've seen her before."  
  
"With Draco Malfoy in Diagon Ally."  
  
She smiled. "I'm not surprised. The three of you must calm down. listen to what I have to say. Sit down."  
  
They sat.  
  
"Tamarisk isn't a spy, she's with us, I assure you. She has done some excellent work."  
  
"Why was she with Draco Malfoy then?"  
  
Tonks sighed. "I don't really like telling you this, under no circumstances must you repeat it to anyone."  
  
The three nodded.  
  
"She's Draco's sister."  
  
"What?! He has a sister?"  
  
Tonks sighed. "Yes, Narcissa and Lucuis had two children. Tamarisk was the first. When she married, they disowned her, and refused to let Draco see her. Well I should say that Lucuis refused to let Draco see her. Look all you need to know is that she is not a spy."  
  
"How does Rayola know her?"  
  
"Rayola and Narcissa were best friends at one point, Ray is like a mother to Tamarisk." Tonks said. "Look, just forget what I've told you, I have to go now." She turned and ran from the room.  
  
Harry turned to Ron and Hermione. "What was all that about seeing Draco in Diagon Ally?"  
  
"He was with her, with his sister." Hermione explained.  
  
"Where was I?"  
  
"Buying a present for Hedwig."  
  
"Tamarisk O'Dell, where have I heard that before? Where?" Harry said, suddenly. "You've heard it before?"  
  
Harry nodded and sat on the bed. "Where?"  
  
At that point Hedwig flew in through the window and Harry untied a letter from her leg.  
  
Harry,  
  
You're not going to believe this, it's the Quibbler it's been shut down. The Ministry are syaing it's pure dribble and they have been investigating in to it for a while now. But the real reason is that article, the one about Malfoy. I don't know what Mr Lovegood is going to do now. But Luna says she's happy they printed the article anyway, I mean at least someone must have read and seen the truth in it. Right? Anyway don't fell about it, it's not your fault, or Hermione's or Ron's. See you at Hogwarts.  
  
Ginny Weasley.  
  
Harry passed the note to Hermione and Ron.  
  
Hermione turned to them. "Do you think someone read it? How could they just shut down the newspaper?"  
  
"'Cause it's not in ministry control."  
  
"That's where I read it!" Harry said, jumping up.  
  
"What?" Hermione asked.  
  
"That's where I saw Tamarisk's name."  
  
"Where? In the Quibbler."  
  
"No in the newspaper, the Daily Prophet. Do you remember Hermione you sent me those cuttings in the summer holidays? Well one was a letter, a letter from Tamarisk O'Dell to the paper, trying to clear Sirius's name."  
  
Hermione nodded. "I think so."  
  
"Sirius is. was her cousin."  
  
A/N was he her cousin? right this is how I see it, Narcissa and Sirius were cousins? Right? Is that right? So her daughter would be his second cousin? is this right?! Er.anyway please R&R!! thanks. 


	17. Back To Hogwarts And Searching The Train

A/N Where have all my lovely reviewers gone??!! Come back.I've got a new chapter.  
  
Chapter seventeen ~ Back to Hogwarts/ Searching the Train  
  
Moony waved goodbye to the three as the train set off from the station. They had only just made it in time. It had been a very hectic morning at Grimmauld Place. Mrs Black was shouting her head off, five members of the order had taken it upon them selves to call, all at the same time. Rayola left her room and was wondering around the house. Tonks was desperately trying to find her before she got sucked into one of the paintings or caught by a boggart. Moony was trying to organise everyone, shut Mrs Black up and keep the order members in the kitchen, but they too insisted on wondering around the house. And to top it off Crookshanks was sleeping on the stairs, tripping up everyone who went up or down.  
  
Harry collapsed onto the train seat and yawned, rubbing his leg where Crookshanks had attacked him.  
  
Ron was busy eating all the food Tonks had made for them, and Hermione pulled out one of Christmas books and began to read, occasionally mumbling a word to herself.  
  
Harry was staring into space, thinking about Tamarisk and Rayola. A lot had happened in one short 'miserable' Christmas.  
  
Ron eventually stopped eating and stared over at Hermione. "What you reading?"  
  
"A book on Azkaban."  
  
"I don't remember you getting that, who's it off?"  
  
"Rayola."  
  
"Rayola bought you a present? Why?"  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh Ron, it wasn't really a Christmas present, she gave it to me just as we were leaving this morning, she reckons I'll need."  
  
Harry looked up. "Huh?"  
  
"Oh erm.apparently Rayola is a seer."  
  
"When she's not barking mad." Ron muttered.  
  
"Like I was saying, Rayola is a seer, and well she saw my untimely death at the hands of the Death Eaters and told me to read this." Hermione said, not looking up from the page.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Oh Harry calm down. She's bonkers, like Ron said."  
  
"Ha!" Ron cried.  
  
"What if she's not? Hermione!"  
  
"Look Harry, I'm not worried, I'm not bothered."  
  
"So why you reading the book?" Harry demanded.  
  
"There is nothing wrong with being prepared." Hermione replied. She snapped the book closed. "It's quite interesting really, all about when Azkban was built and who founded it."  
  
"Sounds facinating." Ron replied, sarcastically. "You know what, though, I bet if you were in Azkaban and you had a wand, it would be simple to get out. Not when the dementors controlled it of course, but the death eaters, they're just ordinary wizards, easier to fight, easier to trick."  
  
At that point the train rolled to a stop and the three jumped up in surprise. Ginny and Luna appeared at the door, slightly shaken.  
  
"Ron, what's going on? We're no where near Hogsmede." She said. Hermione got up and went to the carriage door. Harry looked down and saw the Azkaban book, where she had left it on the seat, he didn't know why but he picked it up and hid it under his cloak.  
  
The carriage door was thrown open and in walked two ministry officials, Hermione stepped back in surprise.  
  
"What's going on?" Harry asked.  
  
The two men searched the carriage before moving on to the next. The searched under the seats, in the trunks and all the pocessions of the group.  
  
"Huh? What was that all about?" Ron asked as ten minutes later the train started moving again.  
  
"They were looking for someone." A voice said, from the door.  
  
The group spun round to see Draco Malfoy standing in front of them, the sneering grin absent from his pale face.  
  
"Who? Who were they looking for?"  
  
"Rayola Snape." He said, before turning from the carriage.  
  
"They were searching for Rayola?" Hermione asked, after he left.  
  
Harry nodded. "I don't think Malfoy would make up something like that."  
  
"What if they go to Grimmauld Place?" Ron asked.  
  
"Why do you think they're looking for her? I mean, what would you-know-who want with Rayola?" Hermione asked.  
  
Harry shrugged. He pulled the book from under his cloak, he handed it to Hermione.  
  
She opened it, on the front cover in neat gold writing was;-  
  
Rayola Snape  
  
Age 17  
  
Hogwarts  
  
"Good thinking, Harry." Hermione said.  
  
"If they'd found that, they would have made you tell them." Ron said.  
  
She nodded. "Rayola should really be more careful." She said, stuffing the book into her bag.  
  
"I'm sorry Luna, about the Quibbler." Hermione said.  
  
Harry nodded. "Me too. We should have known it would only cause trouble."  
  
Luna smiled and shook her head. "Honestly, it's okay. My dad's chuffed that the article caused such a stir."  
  
"But if it wasn't for us."  
  
"Just forget it! Really, the one's we did manage to sell made a profit and at least some people read the article, and I'm pretty sure they'll have passed it on to other's."  
  
Luna and Ginny disappeared to their own carriage leaving Harry, Ron and Hermione alone again.  
  
They reached Hogwarts that evening and clambered off the train. As he walked through the heavy double doors, Harry thought that no matter what happened there, no matter the dangers he would face, he was at home.  
  
A/N please Review!! 


	18. Hermione's New Friend

Disclaimer; I don't own HP.  
  
A/N you might think this chapter is out of character.but believe me I am leading up to something here!! Thanks for all my reviews: - mahikah, PhoenixPadfoot89, Elessar, siri- padfoot, ShaRRy, David305, jaximillion, Dagger's Point, Lishel Fracrium, sarah, conner, Black Snow, tomzgurl77, Kim Sonu, Kaizer Knuckz, Dragania Amma Lyris Malfoy, Natalie, SillyGillie, Huggiebear, Syvixxe, that good person, Neonlights, slytherin-GIRL2, Amy, Luna-Lovegood12, thanks for all your reviews for my chapters so far!! =) pleas review this one!!  
  
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Chapter eighteen ~ Hermione's New Friend.  
  
The Hogwart's routine soon had all the students in their gasp. Harry was given so much work he hardly had time to think about Grimmauld Place at all. But then a reminder came to Hogwarts in the form of a teacher.  
  
Delvarney was either late to lessons, or never showed up at all. The strain was beginning to show, leading a double life was clearly hard. Snape too, had difficulties, but he seemed to manage a lot better then Delvarney. Eventually it got too much for her and she went to see Dumbledore.  
  
Dumbledore was quick to help, he found someone to teach the class when Delvarney was away.  
  
So when Harry and co walked into the classroom on Monday, instead of Delvarney standing at the front of the classroom, Tamarisk O'Dell was stood there, waiting for them.  
  
"Sit down." She smiled at Draco as he walked in. he stopped in surprise. "Sit down." she repeated. "Now it seems teaching is getting to Delvarney, so I have agreed to step in and help. For those who don't know me, which is nearly all of you, I'm Tamarisk O'Dell, or Professor O'Dell, as you shall call me." Harry was shocked, Hermione was hiding a smile, and Ron was staring rudely at the twenty year old. "You knew about that, didn't you 'Mione!" Ron said, after the lesson.  
  
Hermione smiled. "She told me before we left Grimmauld Place, Delvarney was struggling so she decided to offer her services."  
  
"Why didn't you tell us?"  
  
"She asked me not to tell anyone."  
  
"Okay 'Mione keep your secrets!" Ron said, angrily. He stalked off into the crowd.  
  
Hermione turned to Harry. "Oh not again, first at Christmas now here, what's wrong with him? What's his problem?" she demanded.  
  
Harry shrugged. "Maybe he's not the problem." He said, following Ron.  
  
Hermione sighed. She watched as Harry and Ron stomped off together. She turned in the opposite direction and bumped straight into Snape. She gasped.  
  
"Sorry Professor."  
  
"Watch where you're going, Granger." He barked, angrily.  
  
She dodged out of the way and disappeared up the stairs.  
  
Hermione stomped her way to the library, she was sick of Harry and Ron always taking sides against her. she was sure they kept secrets from her, and besides she didn't have to tell them everything. They always went against her no matter how small the argument, she thought bitterly, as she ran her finger along the shelf. Madame Pince was watching her with disapproval, as Hermione stomped noisily around the library.  
  
She turned the corner, thinking of what curses she could hit Ron with when she collided into someone for the second times that day. Draco scowled at her as he knelt down to pick up the book she had knocked from his hand.  
  
"Watch it Granger."  
  
"Free country." She replied, blinking the tears from her eyes.  
  
Malfoy seemed to notice, he sneered. "Where's Potty and Weasel? Gone off together have they, left you all on your own? Perhaps they're seeing you for what you really are, a filthy mudblood." He said, lowering his voice slightly, so that Madame Pince, who was staring over at them, couldn't hear.  
  
"Your more pathetic then I thought, if you think words can hurt me. Call me what you like see if I care." Hermione smiled. "You never know, though, I might report you to your sister."  
  
There was a silence. Draco was too surprised and gob smacked to reply, and Hermione was shocked at what she had just blurted out.  
  
"You what?" he stuttered.  
  
"Forget I said anything." She muttered, awkwardly turning away.  
  
He grabbed her arm. "Wait, you can't say something like that and just tell me to forget it! How did you know about my sister?" he demanded.  
  
Hermione didn't know what to say. If she mentioned Moony and Tonks, or Rayola then the Order would be caught by Malfoy's father.  
  
She shrugged. "She is your sister, isn't she? Tamarisk O'Dell? She's covering for Delvarney." Hermione said, quietly.  
  
Draco's sneer had disappeared. "How did you find out?"  
  
"Look it doesn't matter."  
  
"'Course it matters.it's supposed to be secret!"  
  
"I won't tell anyone." She insisted. "Yeah right, you've probably told Potter and Weasley and the whole of Gryfindor already!"  
  
"Harry and Ron know. We found out together. But unlike some people Malfoy I don't blurt out other people's secrets." She said, snatching her arm away from him. "Now if you'll excuse me."  
  
She walked off, but thought better of it and turned back to see Malfoy staring after her. "And I'm sorry, sorry about your mother." She said, quietly.  
  
"Your not supposed to know about that, either!" he said, annoyed. "How do you find out stuff like that?"  
  
Hermione smiled. "What can I say? I'm Hermione Granger." 


	19. Too Much Information

Disclaimer - I don't own nothing.hey wait doesn't that mean I own everything? Er.I don't own Harry and Co!!  
  
A/N ~ Please review and tell me what you think! =)  
  
Chapter nineteen ~ Too Much Information.  
  
Hermione arrived back at the common room later then usual. Ron and Harry were sat by the fire playing a game of chess, Hermione walked straight past them and sat down with Ginny and Luna, who were desperately trying to finish a potions essay.  
  
Harry looked across at her.  
  
"Maybe we should go and talk to her." he said.  
  
Ron scowled. "She can't keep things from us and expect us to talk to her."  
  
"I know but, Tamarisk asked her to keep it a secret, you can't really blame her. I'm gonna go and ask her to sit with us." He said, getting up.  
  
"Hermione, why don't you come and sit with us?"  
  
She shrugged. "It's okay, Harry, I'm fine here."  
  
Harry walked back over to Ron, who muttered 'I told you so' in an annoyed voice.  
  
Harry tried to concentrate on the game, but he couldn't think straight, Ron however was on form and beat him easily.  
  
Harry got up and walked away towards the dormitory, Ron stared after him in shock. Hermione didn't even notice.  
  
The next day Hermione was up and dressed, before the boys even woke up. She went down to breakfast, and sat reading the Daily Prophet, which as usual had no useful information in it, more post office strikes then what the temporary minister was up to.  
  
Tamarisk strolled past her. when she saw Hermione she stopped to talk to her.  
  
"How is Rayola?" Hermione asked, in an under tone.  
  
Tamarisk sighed. "As well as can be expected. It would have been much better if my mother was here, but Rayola just doesn't recognise anyone, it's quite disturbing."  
  
"I'm sorry." Hermione muttered.  
  
Tamarisk shrugged. "It's Draco I'm worried about," she said, looking over at him, she caught his eyes and smiled. "Look I'll have to go." she walking off.  
  
Hermione got up from the table just as Harry and Ron arrived. She smiled at them and walked off.  
  
Harry and Ron stared after them. "What is up with her?"  
  
Later on Hermione went down to the library, where she had arranged to meet Draco. She sat down at the table opposite.  
  
He sneered. "So you came?"  
  
"Evidently." She replied.  
  
"No need to be so cocky, mud.Granger."  
  
Hermione smiled. "Your sister spoke to me this morning."  
  
"I saw."  
  
"So.why.why was she kicked out the family?"  
  
"Something you haven't found out?!" He demanded.  
  
"It's not like that." She muttered, awkwardly.  
  
"She was kicked out 'cause she didn't fit in with my father's picture of the perfect Malfoy Family." He got up. "Look this is a stupid idea."  
  
"I'm the only one who knows, so the only one you can talk too!" Hermione reminded.  
  
Draco sneered. "Yeah, whatever."  
  
"Malfoy!" she shouted after him as he walked away.  
  
He turned around annoyed. "What do you want, mudblood?"  
  
She scowled. "I can see the Malfoy side of you showing through now."  
  
He glared at her. "Just leave me alone."  
  
"What is your father planning?"  
  
"To rid the world of scum like you!" he said, before turning and walking off. Hermione was left seething. For just a few seconds she had Malfoy in a different light, as he was when his father was no longer controlling him. the person trapped inside. she sighed and collapsed down on to the chair.  
  
That night when she returned to the common room she found Harry and Ron bent over a letter, and Hedwig resting impatiently on the windowsill.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked.  
  
Harry looked up, he passed her the letter without a word.  
  
Harry, Just to keep you updated, nothing has happened. Moony.  
  
"What's wrong with that?"  
  
"Can't you see something strange about the letter?!" Harry demanded.  
  
Hermione read it again. " 'Just to keep you updated, nothing has happened', it's almost like he was going to tell you something then changed his mind." Harry nodded. "And no warning me to be careful." He went to the windowsill and absently stroked the feathers on Hedwig's back. "Anyway where have you been?" "Library." She replied.  
  
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Meet me, same place, same time.  
  
Read the simple note. Hermione stared at it for a moment or two, a smile playing on her face. Malfoy would be a useful ally against the Temporary Minister, if she could get him on her side. She went a long to the library, and sat at one of the empty tables, pulling out a book, and started reading. She might as well do something productive whilst she was waiting for him to arrive. He approached the table and sat down.  
  
"So?"  
  
"So."  
  
"Why did you ask to meet me?"  
  
He shrugged. "There is something I thought you should know."  
  
"And that is?"  
  
"Rayola Snape - I know you know where she is, well my father is looking for her."  
  
"And why would you tell me that?" she asked.  
  
He smirked. "Well, actually I'm surprised you didn't know it already."  
  
She smiled sarcastically. "Hmmm, very funny. So why is he after her?"  
  
"More then my life's worth." Draco said, getting up. He seemed to think better off it and sat back down. "So you can contact her, then?"  
  
Hermione nodded. "Yes, easily."  
  
"Maybe you should tell Snape."  
  
Hermione nodded. "Yeah, good idea."  
  
Draco smiled. "So er.Snape knows where his sister is?"  
  
Hermione was shocked at what Draco had tricked her in to betraying. "Well.no.I don't know." she muttered.  
  
"So have you met her, Rayola Snape? I mean if you can contact her easily."  
  
Hermione jumped up horrified. "This was all some vicious trick, to find out stuff about the Order! You're despicable Draco Malfoy!"  
  
"Sticks and stones." He grinned. "Worked though didn't it, truth be told my father has known for a long time about Grimmauld Place!"  
  
"What?! How did he find out?"  
  
"He didn't, but you just confirmed it, mudblood."  
  
A/N Isn't Malfoy evil?! Don't you just love him!! Please review!! =) 


	20. Gullible little Girl

Disclaimer ~ I don't own anything. =)  
  
A/N I really like this chapter, I've tried to keep everyone in character.notice the word TRIED!! Anyway please tell me what you think!! =)  
  
Chapter twenty ~ Gullible little Girl.  
  
Hermione sat sobbing in the common room. She couldn't believe she had been taken in so easily, and by Draco Malfoy. She was so gullible. She was playing in her mind as whether to write to Moony or not, but how could she admit to being such an idiot? She had thought she had seen something in Draco Malfoy, something different, something nice.  
  
Then it came to her, she could tell Tamarisk.  
  
She left the common room, and went to the staff room. She knocked on the door and stood outside, anxiously wiping the tears from her face. A disgruntled Snape pulled open the door with a snap.  
  
"What now, Miss." he began then he caught sight of her tear stained face. "You better come in." he held open the door wider so she could step into the office. Tamarisk was sitting at a round table, next to Delvarney, and Flitwick.  
  
Snape pointed to a chair and Hermione sat down. Tamarisk got up and walked over to her. she kneeled next to her.  
  
"What's happened?"  
  
"I've sorta told Malfoy things I shouldn't have. He tricked me into it, he made me tell him, I didn't know what I was saying, I couldn't believe it afterwards.the things I said."  
  
"Calm down. it can't be that bad, what have you said?"  
  
Hermione sighed. "He knows about Grimmauld Place."  
  
"What!? You told him about the Order, you stupid insolent little girl!" Snape yelled.  
  
"What else did you tell him?" Tamarisk asked, the gentle smile, disappearing from her tired face.  
  
Hermione shrugged. "Does it matter?"  
  
Tamarisk nodded. "What else did you tell him?"  
  
Hermione burst into tears as she miserably told Tamarisk and Snape what had happened.  
  
Tamarisk stood up, wobbling slightly. She stared across at Snape and pulled a face.  
  
"I think I'm gonna be sick."  
  
"It's the feeling you get when you know you're screwed." Snape replied, his voice was full of hatred.  
  
He stared at Hermione, who turned away to avoid his piercing eyes.  
  
"One of us should really go and tell Dumbledore."  
  
Snape nodded but didn't move.  
  
"I'll go then, should I?" she asked.  
  
Snape didn't reply. Tamarisk stood by the door for a few moments. Suddenly Snape got up.  
  
He walked past her, almost knocking her over and then spun round to face back into the room. "Stupid gullible little girl." He said, spitefully before leaving.  
  
Tamarisk stared at Hermione, who had stopped crying, but was staring almost angrily at the wall.  
  
"Maybe you should return to your dormitory."  
  
"Where you going?" Hermione demanded.  
  
"Me? I'm going to find my little Brother."  
  
"Give him a kick from me." Hermione said, as she pulled herself up, she stalked from the room without looking back.  
  
The twenty year old sighed as she stared back round the now empty room. What was she going to do with Draco?  
  
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Hermione retreated to the library, she had no will or wish to go back to Harry and Ron. They would question her about her tear stained face and shaky voice, demand to know where she had been, and then make her feel mortally ashamed when she told them. She stared around at the shelves lined with the various books. This was it her retreat, it was of course also where she had seen Draco Malfoy in a different light for once. Looks can be very deceiving, you should definitely not judge a book by it's cover, she thought as she pulled one from the shelf.  
  
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Draco Malfoy stalked down the corridor. So the Order were hiding at Grimmauld Place, just as his father had suspected. Black's old house, well it was Bellatrix who had thought of the place first. Perfect for a hide out. But of course, they had to make sure. Draco smirked, so now they knew, with the addition of a bonus, Granger was clearly involved with the Order, stupid, foolish, mudblood.  
  
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Harry was beginning to fret about Hermione. She had been crying quietly to herself, before getting up and leaving without even bothering to say where she was going.  
  
"Ron, do you think something is wrong? You know with Hermione?"  
  
Ron shrugged, annoyed. He was trying to finish his potions essay before midnight but was struggling without his friend. "She's never here when you want her, gone off somewhere, without giving a thought to anyone but herself."  
  
"Ron, you can't blame Hermione because you haven't done your potions. Here copy mine, it's all wrong anyway!" Harry said, tossing a piece of parchment down on the table.  
  
Ron grabbed it, and skimmed through Harry's scruffy writing.  
  
"I'm going to find her." Harry said.  
  
Ron grunted a reply.  
  
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Hermione had given up trying to read, her vision was too blurred, and she couldn't concentrate. The library was slowly filtering empty as students returned, moaning about homework, to their common rooms. Madame Pince was throwing her various looks, all of which she tried to ignore. As the last student left the library, Madame Pince was walking over to usher Hermione from the library.  
  
At that moment Harry walked in, he ran over to Hermione with a mingled look of relief and fear. He stopped at the sight of her tear stained face.  
  
"I'm sorry Harry." She said, not looking at him.  
  
Harry walked forward and threw his arms around her. 


	21. A Fight

Disclaimer - I am not J K Rowling.sorry to disappoint you all, I don't own Harry and co. But Rayola and Tamarisk.they're all mine.  
  
Chapter twenty one ~ A Fight.  
  
Ron, Hermione and Harry sat round the hospital bed. None of them dared look at each other, none of them dared to speak.  
  
It was two days after Hermione had blurted out the Order's hideout. In those two days Grimmauld Place had been attacked. Snape had warned Dumbledore, who had gone straight to Grimmauld Place but it was too late.  
  
Malfoy of course had not been one of the death eaters to attack, as he was Temporary Minister and would in fact be declared Minister in less then a week it was hardly proper for him to partake in the raid. The Order had been unprepared for the actual attack, but knew what to do in case of such an attack.  
  
They fought well, they fought as free people refusing to submit to the Dark Lord. Not a lot of the Order had been there, those who were, were either dead or injured.  
  
Hermione managed a look upwards, disbelief was smattered across her face. The injured included Moony, Tonks and Mr Weasley, the dead included Mundungus Fletcher and a woman named Rosie Probert.  
  
"I thought he had changed, I really did. How could I have been so stupid!?" Hermione demanded, getting up.  
  
Harry looked over at her. "Loads of people have been taken in by the Malfoys, it doesn't make you stupid because you believed the best in somebody."  
  
"But you should know by now Hermione there ain't no good in the Malfoy's!"  
  
Hermione nodded absently. "Yes you think I would."  
  
A healer came bursting through the door of the hospital. She ushered the three out. Behind her Dumbledore stood with a stern expression on his tired face. Hermione couldn't even look at him, she was scared of his disappointment.  
  
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After spending the week visiting Mr Weasley, and when they were sure he was going to make a full recovery the trio returned to Hogwarts. Mrs Weasley promised to write if there was any change. But by this time Mr Weasley was sitting recounting his tales of heroics in the dark walls of the Black House. Tonks was also on the mend as was Moony. But neither of them had regained consciousness. Harry wanted to stay until they did, but to Mrs Weasley that was out of the question.  
  
The three quickly fell back into the routine, and they had constant letters telling them of the recoveries being made by their friends.  
  
"Don't keep blaming yourself Hermione. if what Malfoy said was true, Voldemort knew about Grimmauld Place long before you let it slip." Harry reminded her as they went down to breakfast.  
  
"I should be expelled for what I have done, no worse then that, sent to Azkaban."  
  
"Hermione?!" Ron exclaimed. "You-Know-Who is at Azkaban."  
  
"Hermione."  
  
"I've killed them, Mundugus, that Rosie woman."  
  
"Hermione."  
  
"Leave me alone Harry, you have no idea how I am feeling, so don't try and patronise me."  
  
"Don't know how you're feeling?! Don't know how you're feeling?! No course I don't, I've only been in the exact same position as you, even worse. Let me see now.how about when I brought Cedric Diggory to his death, how about when I killed my own godfather, not to mention that my parents died because of me.and all the members of the order who fought last summer at the ministry!" Harry yelled.  
  
Hermione felt the tears prick into her eyes. "I'm sorry Harry."  
  
"Harry, you didn't kill any of those people. It was an accident." Ron said, quickly.  
  
"Just like it was with Hermione!" Harry said. "Look 'Mione we all make stupid mistakes."  
  
"Yeah but people don't die from yours!"  
  
"Haven't you been listening?! 'Mione we all make mistakes, and we have to learn from them."  
  
"Yeah?" Hermione said, getting up. "You know what I've learnt from mine? Trust no one!"  
  
"Hermione." Ron said.  
  
She shook her head, angrily, and walked away.  
  
Hermione was missing from lessons all morning.  
  
"Maybe we should go and look for her?" Ron suggested.  
  
"Nah, I know what it's like, it's best just to leave her be, she'll come round, eventually."  
  
Tamarisk O'Dell commented on Hermione's empty seat. "I do hope Miss Granger is not ill?" she said.  
  
Harry nodded. "She's in the hospital wing." He said, with a glare directed towards Malfoy.  
  
Tamarisk sighed before moving on. "Well, today we're going to be studying.yes Mr Malfoy?"  
  
"Maybe one of us should go and check on Granger."  
  
"I'm sure Madame Pomfrey can cope quite well without one of you disturbing her."  
  
"Even so someone should make sure."  
  
"What you trying to do Malfoy? Get more things outta her?!" Harry demanded, standing up.  
  
"You should really watch her mouth, Potter. It could get you into a lot of trouble."  
  
"And you should watch yours!" Harry replied.  
  
"You know, being a traitor, blabbing secrets is now an Azkabanable offence."  
  
"And threatening my friends, that's a killable offence." Harry said, he lunged at Malfoy and the two boys, grappled on the floor. Malfoy punched Harry, who fell back. Harry kicked Malfoy off him who banged his head on the desk with a thud. He clambered up groggily, Harry stuck his leg out and tripped him up.  
  
"That's enough!" Tamarisk shouted horrified. She pulled her brother up from the floor and threw him into his chair, she dragged Harry over to the other side of the classroom, her face was red with anger.  
  
"I do not accept such callous behaviour in my classroom, from anyone. That's fifty points from each house, detention tonight and if either of you behave in such a way again, I shall see that you are suspended." She took a deep breathe to calm herself down. "Mr Malfoy I suggest you go down to the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey will clear up that broken nose of yours. I'd ask you to go too Potter, but I'm afraid I can't trust the pair of you together."  
  
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"That was so good Harry, how you had Malfoy in that headlock and then whoosh."  
  
"What have I missed?" Hermione asked, as she entered the common room.  
  
Harry smiled at her, the bruise showing up on his face even more clearly.  
  
"Deary me, I can't leave you two alone for a minute can I?"  
  
"So you're back then?" Ron asked.  
  
Hermione nodded. "I was being selfish. Yes I did something wrong, very wrong, but I had no right to take it out on you, two. We just have to learn from our mistakes."  
  
"And what have you learnt?"  
  
"Never to trust a Malfoy, again." 


	22. An Azkabanable Offence

A/N Yay a new chapter, hope you like!! =)  
  
Chapter twenty two ~ An Azkabanable Offence.  
  
'Azkabanable Offence', the words rang through Harry's mind as he lay in bed, trying to sleep. But sleep did not come. Harry was scared, Voldemort had tried to strike in many places, but one place he had not tried yet was Harry's friends.  
  
The next morning the three headed down to the dungeons for potions. Harry was half asleep as he took his place next to Hermione and Ron.  
  
Snape came striding into the classroom. He looked menacingly around, his cold eyes resting on Hermione. He had not spoken to her since calling her a 'gullible little girl'.  
  
"Today we are going to concentrate on antidotes. You have done this before, but obviously have not studied it in depth. And I must warn you the examiners like slipping in questions on the easier, earlier topics to see how much you can remember. So this is more of a revision lesson." He said, coldly, walking around the classroom. "Last time we did not make the whole potion, this time however we will, and will also be testing them at the end. So ingredients on the board." He said, with a flick of his wand, white flowing writing appeared on the black board behind him.  
  
The class grumbled as they began the difficult potion. Draco Malfoy was missing from the class, both Hermione and Harry noticed this instantly, but Ron was busy fuming over the impossible potion.  
  
"I can see why we only did bloody half of it last time."  
  
Half way through the lesson Delvarney came in, they hadn't seen her for a while and she seemed very anxious. Harry went on purpose to collect his powdered hubbwig, from the cupboard at the front. Delvarney went and stood near Snape, surveying the class.  
  
"It's the funeral tomorrow, you're coming right?"  
  
Snape nodded.  
  
"I can't believe it, poor Rosie, poor Dung." She said, miserably.  
  
"At least they died fighting." Snape replied.  
  
Delvarney nodded. "Like Sirius."  
  
"Like Black." He agreed.  
  
"I take it Dumbledore is coming?"  
  
Snape nodded. "Yes, it's a bad idea, but he insists."  
  
"A bad idea, why?"  
  
"You were at the meeting, you heard what He said."  
  
"Remind me."  
  
"Any time that he knows for certain that the Order will be together, he'll attack."  
  
"You mean he's gonna attack at the funeral?!"  
  
"I'm just saying it's a possibility."  
  
"So he's not content with killing them, he wants to terrorise them even in death? Why won't he let them rest in peace?"  
  
"Are we talking about the same person? You know exactly what he is."  
  
"So you don't think Dumbledore should come?"  
  
"I think he should pay a bit more caution."  
  
Delvarney nodded. "Maybe he should. Look I'm going now, I'll see you tomorrow." just as Delvarney turned to leave, the doors were banged open.  
  
"What's going on?" Snape demand, angrily.  
  
Through the door came two ministry officials followed by Lucuis Malfoy, a grin plastered across his pale face.  
  
"What the fu.?" Delvarney began, capturing herself in time as not to swear in front of the pupils. "What's going on?"  
  
"Sorry to interrupt the class, Professor Snape. As you know the ministry backs education as a very important aspect of life, but the matter is serious."  
  
"And that would be?" Snape said, trying to hide the hate in his voice.  
  
"Well of course you are aware of the recent attacks on those fighting against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, someone has been delivering information to Him. I am here to make a formal arrest."  
  
"What?" Delvarney said, gob smacked.  
  
"Who?" Snape replied, in his icy tones.  
  
"Miss Granger, you are being arrested for acting spy to He-Who-Must-Not-Be- Named, giving away secrets resulting in the deaths of many innocent people, including some fighting against Him." Lucuis said, his voice icy enough to match Snape's, but a gleeful icy opposed to a despising one.  
  
Hermione was shocked. She looked across at Harry unable to speak.  
  
Ron was looking absolutely mystified, and then suddenly he burst out laughing. "When you think about it, it's kinda of ironic!" he said. Ron was laughing at the stupidity of the situation, surely there was no way they could take Hermione away?  
  
Harry didn't see the funny side. He looked at Hermione's stricken face with worry.  
  
"And so we'll be taking her." Lucuis stepping aside for his ministers to pass him.  
  
"Not so fast." Snape said. "No student of mine shall be taken away without the headmaster present. Mr Potter go and fetch Professor Dumbledore."  
  
"No, Snape that will not be necessary. Why don't you and I take Miss Granger to the headmaster, I am sure Delvarney can look after the class."  
  
Snape looked across at the shaking Hermione and nodded. "Very well."  
  
As the five of them left the classroom the pupils burst out in shock. Harry jumped up. "I'm going after them, I can't let Hermione be on her own, she can't go to Azkaban."  
  
Delvarney shook her head. "Sit down Potter, it will do no good to go barging in their, wands blazing. Anyway she has Snape and Dumbledore, they won't let no harm come to her."  
  
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Draco Malfoy stood up in the hospital wing. He went towards the door. Madame Pomfrey had told him he could leave. He pulled open the door, just to see the group rush past. The two officials leading, his father next then Snape and Granger. Granger was shaking.  
  
Draco retreated back into the hospital wing in shock. What was his father doing? He felt a pain inside, the girl had looked terrified. What was this new feeling? Was it guilt? After all he knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of his father's anger, he grimaced in remembrance. 


	23. In The Office

A/N I don't own HP!! Thanks for all the reviews keep 'em coming!! =)  
  
Chapter twenty-three ~ In The Office.  
  
Dumbledore didn't seem wholly surprised when the group appeared in his office. In fact, judging by the look on his face, it was almost as though he had been expecting them. He smiled, a secretive rather cunning smile.  
  
"Lucius, and to what do I owe this rare honour?" He said, standing up. "Please, sit down.  
  
Lucius sat down, as did Dumbledore leaving the rest standing, watching.  
  
"I always knew you were hiding something, Dumbledore. but I never thought, for a second, it would be this extreme."  
  
"I'm afraid Lucius I don't have the slightest idea what you are talking about. And can I ask what my potions master and Hermione Granger have to do with it?" he asked, speaking slowly as though he was talking to a child.  
  
Lucius smirk broadened on his face. "Are you trying to say Dumbledore that you had no idea about what was going on? Under your very nose? Well, I must say that is a serious case of neglect. If you can't even tell when one of your own students has joined the dark side."  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Are you trying to suggest that Miss Granger, one of the cleverest students in the school is under the influence of Voldemort?!"  
  
Lucius flinched slightly at the name, but hid it remarkably well with a cold laugh. "You really are a blumbering fool? Do you really think these students are going to stay true to you?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled back. "My students are faithful and loyal, they will fight on the right side, I can assure you."  
  
"Well, I have proof that this one has been talking."  
  
"Really? Can I ask what proof you may have?"  
  
"Sorry Dumbledore but it is confidential and due to my new position as Lord Judge I have the right to send any dangerous persons, threatening our community to Azkaban."  
  
"Without trial?"  
  
"Without trial."  
  
"Wouldn't look good though would it? Minister Malfoy sending a young school girl to Azkaban without giving her the chance to defend herself."  
  
Malfoy's grin subsided. "It would look even worse if I let a dangerous criminal walk."  
  
"Dangerous criminal?!" Snape sneered.  
  
"You're forgetting your place!" Malfoy said, angrily spinning round to speak to Snape. Hermione retreated back behind her teacher.  
  
Snape stepped in front of her. "Why would the Dark Lord use a muggle born? He detests the impurity of their race, he would kill her, not pay her." He sneered.  
  
"Did I say she was under His pay? Maybe she told him another way. But whatever happened I'm taking her."  
  
"You don't want to be doing that." Dumbledore said, softly.  
  
Lucius grinned. "Oh I think I do." Dumbledore smiled, and nodded.  
  
"Why don't I want to be doing it?" Lucius demanded.  
  
"Say she was proven innocent, after you have taken her. You're name would be dirt in the wizarding world."  
  
"What are you saying? I should let her go, because you don't think she's guilty."  
  
"Give her a fair trial. Let her side of the story be heard, give her a chance to defend herself and her actions."  
  
Lucius thought for a moment.  
  
"A reputation once shattered, is hard to restore." Snape said, quietly.  
  
That seemed to clench it. "Very well, the girl shall get a fair trial, but she will be taken into custody in the meantime."  
  
Hermione gasped as one of the officials made to grab her arm. Snape pushed her back, out of his reach.  
  
"Innocent until proven guilty. It wouldn't do good sending her to Azkaban before the trial." Snape said, icily.  
  
Lucius nodded and grinned. "Perhaps you are right." He turned to the headmaster. "The dates of the trial shall be owled to you."  
  
Snape followed Lucius out of the office.  
  
"What the hell were you playing at?" He demanded angrily.  
  
"Send her to the Dark Lord and then put her on trail, if she goes to the Dark Lord he'll kill her, which means a disappearance, the aurors will be poking their noses in, no everything we do has to be above board in the eyes of the public." Snape replied, annoyed.  
  
Lucius nodded. "I'll get that mudblood in the end, I will!" he sneered as he followed his officials down the staircase.  
  
Snape smirked coldly. "Like hell you will." 


	24. Guilty

A/N Hey another chapter! Er.don't think much of the title.any suggestions?  
  
Chapter twenty four ~ Guilty  
  
Hermione was shaken. First she had killed her friends with her big mouth, and now she was about to be sent to Azkaban by the 'Minister' for talking to his stupid son! The injustice of it crept through her body. She managed a look at Dumbldore as Snape entered the office. He looked across at his student.  
  
"You should return to class, Miss Granger."  
  
Hermione nodded, she walked to the door and stopped. "Thanks." She muttered as she left.  
  
Once outside the office she collapsed miserably against the wall. She couldn't face going back to class, not with Ron and Harry questioning her. she stood there for a few moments, then hearing movement in the office she set off down the corridor.  
  
She did not return to the dungeons she went instead to the library and sat once more at the desk where she had spoken to Draco. Someone steadily approached the table. she looked up with a gasp.  
  
"You have a nerve." She said, bitterly jumping up.  
  
"I have plenty." Draco replied.  
  
"No, Malfoy, nerves are something you can't buy." Hermione said, angrily. "I don't know how you live with yourself, I really don't."  
  
"Me? It was you who betrayed your friends, you killed them, mudblood."  
  
Hermione shook her head. "I may be a mouthy, gullible girl, Malfoy, but I am not a murderer. Not like you. One of the greatest moments of your life, when you told your father you'd tricked me into telling? I'd pity you, if you weren't such a bastard."  
  
"What if I said I was sorry?" Malfoy said, the sneer still on his face.  
  
"Sorry? Sorry, don't buy lives, don't buy trust. What information do you want know Malfoy, eh? What the Order is planning next, not a lot since quite a few of 'em are dead, all down to you. Take that apology Malfoy, and stick it where the sun don't shine. You've gone to far this time, and you're gonna regret the day you were born."  
  
"Oh, I'm so scared." Malfoy said, shocked.  
  
"Like I said, money can't buy bravery, can't buy nerves." Hermione walked away, her hands were shaking with anger. She tried to block out Malfoy's words, but they kept rebounding around her mind, she had killed her friends, maybe she was just as bad as Malfoy.  
  
"I'm going to plead guilty." Hermione said, as she sat down in the common room.  
  
"What?!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Why not?! Bloody Hell Hermione, have you lost your mind?"  
  
"I did it, Ron and I should pay the price." She said, simply.  
  
"You didn't do anything." Ron insisted.  
  
"Who've you been talking to?" Harry said, quietly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Have you been talking to Malfoy?"  
  
Hermione looked down.  
  
"Hermione, you haven't done anything."  
  
"Oh no, course I haven't. Rayola, Moony and Tonks are injured, and others are dead."  
  
"You said Malfoy already knew about it, he only needed you to confirm it. you didn't really tell him anything he didn't already know." Harry said, quickly.  
  
"Look Harry, don't try and make me feel better, 'cause I really don't want to! Let me feel the burden of what I have done." She insisted. "Maybe I should go to Azkaban, after all Sirius went."  
  
"Don't dare compare yourself to Sirius, don't dare. He has nothing to do with you, or anyone for that matter. He died, Hermione, so that we could live, and you, you want to throw away his sacrifice as though it didn't mean anything, as though he did it for nothing."  
  
"Of course he didn't die for nothing, Harry. He died for something he believed in, you." she said, getting up. "It's nice of people like you and Snape to stick up for me, Harry. But I want what I deserve, justice."  
  
"Hermione, are you mad? You're not gonna get justice, you're gonna be tried by Malfoy and the death eaters!" Ron exclaimed, jumping up, he grabbed her arm as she tried to walk away.  
  
Hermione pulled away. "I want justice, Ron, and I'm going to get it."  
  
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Draco sat in the Slytherin common room. The students surrounding him were all talking about one thing, the arrest of Hermione Granger. But for once in his life, Malfoy didn't want to take part.  
  
"It's called guilt." A voice said, from behind him.  
  
Draco spun round to find his twenty year old sister standing behind him.  
  
"Where'd you come from?" He grumbled as he got up and they went and sat in an empty corner to talk.  
  
"Not quite sure actually." She admitted. "Look Draco, what you did to Granger."  
  
"Father asked me to find out what."  
  
Tamarisk nodded. "Yeah, I know. but I don't answer to him any more Draco. I stopped being his puppet years ago, you should do the same."  
  
Draco remained silent.  
  
"What? No comeback? Is that because you know I'm right?" she smiled.  
  
Draco shook his head, viciously. "No, it's because what you said was so stupid I couldn't dignify it with a answer." He said, angrily, getting up. He disappeared up the stairs to the boys dormitory, leaving Tamarisk among the other Slytherin students. She sighed. Maybe one day he would learn.  
  
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The trial was fast approaching, and Hermione was pouring all her time into defending herself. She still claimed she was going to plead guilty, but wanted a good defence, that way she might be able to explain her actions. For instance turning murder into manslaughter.  
  
Harry and Ron were very worried about her. Harry wished bitterly that Sirius was there, he needed someone to talk to, someone to advise him. it wasn't the same coming from Moony. Harry had always had an empty spot inside. When Sirius came along that spot had been filled. But now it was empty again, and aching away inside him.  
  
Moony and Tonks had both recovered, so had Rayola, although she had not been in hospital. Madame Pomfrey had gone along to Grimmauld Place to care for her, on Snape's request. But they would have to find a new hide away. Grimmauld Place was no longer safe.  
  
A/N Please review and if you have suggestions for a better chapter title, or a title for my fic then I'd love to hear it! Cheers, me hearties! (POTC *grin* any one else absolutely love that movie??!!) 


	25. The Trial

Disclaimer ~ I don't own Harry Potter!!  
  
A/N sorry I haven't updates for ages!! But I've been concentrating on my Pirates of the Caribbean story!! So if you're a fan of Jack Sparrow (Captain!!) then please check out my story ~ 'The Sparrow Rebellion'. Many thanks!!  
  
**Hermione's thoughts**  
  
Chapter twenty five ~ The Trial.  
  
Trail 729B3H5R  
  
Hermione Granger verses the Ministry.  
  
Hermione stood outside the courtroom, breathing heavily. Her eyes were blurred as she starred in front of her at the threatening oak door. Dumbledore stood behind her, his aged hand resting on her shaking shoulder.  
  
Both Harry and Ron were to give evidence for the defence, so couldn't be present in court. She had not even told her parents. She had a wrote a letter and entrusted it to Harry, he was to send it, if she was sent down for the murder of the Order member's.  
  
She gasped softly, as the doors were pulled open and the light filed into the dim corridor in which she was standing. She stepped into the room, but instead of the hundreds of eyes that Harry had seen, there were just twelve people, including Malfoy sitting in the enormous courtroom. They were huddled together, and the empty seats seemed more threatening then a thousand people would have.  
  
Dumbledore led her into the middle of the room where they both sat down. She glanced up at the huddled group, over half she recognised, from Harry's descriptions, they were death eaters. Sitting there, next to the ageing Dumbledore, being stared at through evil eyes, she knew that justice could not be done, and it was there and then she changed her mind. She was going to plead not guilty. Like Harry and Ron said, she hadn't done anything.  
  
Then came the charge.  
  
Malfoy stood up, and cleared his throat in a silky fashion.  
  
"Hermione Granger," The words sounded bitter on his forked tongue. "You have been charged on the dreadful and disgusting charge of giving government secrets to the enemy. Such crime holds a minimum of life time in Azkaban."  
  
A pug faced woman stood up. "How do you plead?" She asked coldly.  
  
Dumbledore looked across at Hermione, his tired face showing regret.  
  
She looked down for a moment or two, as though deciding what to say next.  
  
"How do you plead?" The pug woman asked again, her voice getting colder, sending an icy chill down Hermione's spine.  
  
"Not guilty." She said, softly.  
  
The cruel grin on Malfoy's face grew, as he continued. "Then it remains the job of the prosecution to find you guilty." As he said that, a man stood up, from next to Malfoy. He was young about twenty five, enthusiastic to please and as cruel as Lucius himself.  
  
"And it is the defence's job, to prove Miss Granger innocent." Dumbledore stood up.  
  
"Dear me Dumbledore, it will not do well for your image to be supporting and concealing, yes indeed concealing the talker."  
  
Dumbledore didn't reply, he sat down once more.  
  
"Stand up, Miss Granger." The pug woman said.  
  
Hermione pushed herself up, the chair scraping the floor, noisily. And the questioning began.  
  
"You spoke to Mr Draco Malfoy on the evening of February 5th, only two weeks ago, correct?"  
  
She nodded. "Yes."  
  
"What was the nature of this conversation?"  
  
"Draco asked me to meet him in the library."  
  
"Why was that?"  
  
"He told me that Mr Malfoy, his father, was after a friend." Hermione stopped, shocked, how could she have let that slip? She was bad at this! ".was after Rayola Snape."  
  
"Nonsense." Grinned Mr Malfoy.  
  
But the young man had picked up on her slipped words. "Friend of yours, Rayola Snape? You know where she is? She is a wanted criminal, Miss Granger. We do not want to add perverting the course of justice on to your list of crimes."  
  
Hermione sighed, it was a lose-lose situation. If she told the truth they would condemn her, and if she lied they would condemn her. There was no way she could win. The hopelessness of the whole situation began to rest on her, and one thought whirred round her head. **I'm not going to get out of this alive.**  
  
"I do not know where she is." She spoke confidently, and truthfully, for the Order would be stupid to remain at Grimmauld Place, or so she thought.  
  
"Lies." The young lawyer said with a curt nod. "But I would expect nothing more from a mudblood."  
  
Dumbledore stood up. "Objection, use of discriminating language, surely can not be permissible."  
  
"I'm going to let Mr Rogers continue. Mr Rogers please mind your language." Malfoy said, silkily. From where he was sitting he had a good view of the courtroom. He was definitely enjoying himself.  
  
"And so you told the enemy?"  
  
"Enemy!" Hermione exclaimed. "The only one I talked to was Draco Malfoy. And Draco as the minister's son, I thought I could trust him, it is not my fault he turned out to be the enemy."  
  
"Stop this at once." Malfoy said with a snarl. "You will not slander my family, or any good name in my courtroom."  
  
"Who did you tell? We want names. Young master Draco heard you talking to someone."  
  
"What?!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"You were witnessed giving the information away."  
  
"But I did no such thing." Hermione said, angrily as she flopped back down in her chair. After that she closed her ears, she couldn't be bothered listening to Dumbledore argue the case for, or Rogers twist every word the witnesses said. She managed a half smile as Ron and Harry entered to give their evidence. Although they spoke clearly and truthfully that Hermione was not a spy, she didn't think it would count for much.  
  
"Before we make a decision, do you have anything to say for yourself, Miss Granger?" Lucius Malfoy asked, standing up.  
  
Hermione stood up. "Yes."  
  
Dumbledore looked at her warningly, not that it mattered, she could hardly make the situation worse.  
  
"Yes, I do. I'm innocent, the only one I spoke to was your son, Draco Malfoy. I trusted him, but I have learnt my lesson. He should be the one standing before you not me. As Mr Rogers said, I'm a mudblood, Voldemort's biggest desire is to wipe my sort from existence. He'd hardly pay me to hand him secretes, and I'd hardly help in destroying my own kind." She said.  
  
Lucius Malfoy's face hid a snigger.  
  
"But it does not matter what I say," she continued, "for you will find me guilty, otherwise the slur on your son's name and indeed your name will be too great. So here it is the coward's way out, find me guilty, and you truly are the coward, I always thought you were. Harry saw you, bowing down to your master, Voldemort, we all saw you that night in the ministry, trying to steal." she stopped, after a kick from Dumbledore.  
  
"We all saw you kill innocent people that night." Hermione cried.  
  
The Pug faced woman stood up. "Ahem! Court is adjourned, we shall return in half an hour for the verdict." And slowly the people began to pour out of the room. Hermione stayed, standing in the middle, sitting beside her was Dumbledore, he too remained. When the room was empty she fell down on to her chair and began to sob.  
  
A/N please review!! 


	26. The Verdict

Disclaimer - Don't own.  
  
A/N next chapter!! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed I really appreciate it!! ^_^  
  
Chapter twenty six ~ The Verdict  
  
"What happens if they find her guilty?" Harry muttered, as him and Ron sat outside the courtroom door.  
  
Ron turned to him, angrily. "They won't, they can't! I mean she has Dumbledore on her side!"  
  
"Maybe Dumbledore isn't as strong as he was."  
  
"What do you mean?" Ron demanded.  
  
"Dumbledore hasn't got much influence in the ministry any more Ron, you know he hasn't. If they find Hermione guilty, well then there is nothing he can do about it."  
  
"But Harry, she can't go to Azkaban."  
  
"Sorry to burst your bubble Ron but she can. I mean can you name a time when anything has ever got right for us, ever?!" Harry said.  
  
Ron thought for a moment or two. "How about first year when we saved the philosopher's stone?"  
  
"You ended up in the hospital wing, and the stone was destroyed anyway."  
  
"Yeah but we stopped you-know-who getting it."  
  
"Name another."  
  
Ron sat thinking for a few more minutes. "How about when you won the triwizard cup?"  
  
"You fell out with me for half the year, because you were jealous. A supporter of the Dark Lord was posing as our DADA teacher, and um.let me think Cedric died."  
  
"Yeah but you gave the money to Fred and George and they started their joke shop. How about when we found Sirius in third year?" But Ron realised he had over stepped the mark.  
  
Harry stood up. "That is the worse thing that has ever happened, was finding my godfather. He would still have died right, but I wouldn't have cared, I wouldn't have known him! But now, after getting to know him, looking upon almost as a father, it was like losing my parents all over again. You don't know what that's like."  
  
"Huh? My sister almost died in second year consumed by you-know-who, and my father last year attacked by that snake!"  
  
"You're missing the key word here, Ron. ALMOST!" Harry shouted, as he marched off down the corridor.  
  
Ron shook his head, and stared worriedly at the door.  
  
He looked at his watch, it appeared time had gone back, rather then forward, he shook it angrily, scared as he looked around the room. Had they really gone back in time. But then again, maybe it was supposed to do that. But it was muggle after all, Hermione had charmed it to make it work at Hogwarts. It was then Ron realised the battery's had gone.  
  
"Bloody hell, I only put them in a year ago, stupid muggles can't do anything right!" He grumbled.  
  
He didn't like sitting on his own outside the courtroom, he stares round glumly trying to will Harry back.  
  
Then as he stood up, the twelve members of the Dark Order, who were also on the jury, poured back into the courtroom. Ron watched nervously, as the heavy door closed on him, blocking his sight of his frightened friend.  
  
Inside the courtroom.  
  
Hermione stood up to face the verdict. She swallowed, attempting to rid herself of fear, it didn't work. Lucius grinned as he too stood up. She already knew the verdict before he opened his mouth. Her mind went strangely numb as two guards stepped forward, escorting her from the courtroom. She didn't put up any resistance, there was no need. She could not fight the entire ministry, most of them were followers of the Dark Lord anyway. She managed a glance at the sober form of Albus Dumbledore as she was carted from the room. He looked glum, but forced a reassuring smile on to his old face as their eyes met. His eyes said more then words ever could. He was a apologising for not having the ability to save her, telling her to be strong and remember who she was, and what she was fighting for. But most importantly he was promising to help her, promising to get her out of Azkaban. All that in a single glance. Her head turned away as she was taken from the room.  
  
Ron jumped as the guards pulled her past him.  
  
"Hermione!" He shouted. She grasped his hands, but was pulled out of his reach by the guards.  
  
"Ron!" 


	27. Disbelief

A/N Quite a short chapter!! Thanks for all the nice reviews, please keep 'em coming!! Many thanks!! ^_^  
  
Chapter twenty seven ~ Disbelief  
  
Ron stood gob smacked in the hall, he couldn't believe it. He collapsed against the wall, gasping for breath. Harry appeared, equally shocked. He took one look at Ron's face, before marching past him and pulling open the heavy court room door. He stomped in angrily, and approached Dumbledore.  
  
"I thought you were gonna protect us! But you can't, you've failed. They've taken Hermione, and you haven't even tried to stop them!" He shouted angrily.  
  
Dumbledore's expressionless face stared up at him. Lucius grinned from his seat. "Deary me, Dumbledore, even your own side are fed up with you."  
  
Harry spun round and glared at the man who had condemned his friend. "What's gonna happen to Hermione?" He demanded.  
  
Lucius grinned, nastily. He got up, and stepped down, level with the angry form of Harry. He put his slender, cold hand on the boy's shoulder. Harry shook it off in disgust.  
  
"The mudblood will get what she deserves." Lucius said so quietly that no one else but Harry heard him.  
  
"And what does that mean?" He demanded. "What does that mean?" He pushed Lucius.  
  
Dumbledore jumped up and grabbed Harry. Harry turned to him with loathing.  
  
"Don't." He warned. "Don't." He slowly led Harry from the gloomy court room.  
  
"The Dementors will be pleased to see her! Please enough to give her a kiss." Lucius said, softly as the door banged shut.  
  
Harry yelled as the door shut. "No! Not Hermione! That's not fair." He tried to struggle from Dumbledore's iron grip. Ron watched, anxiously.  
  
"Nothing is fair Harry, but do not despair we will rescue Hermione."  
  
"When?!" Harry demanded. "When her soul has been taken? When it is too late?"  
  
Harry was spending the night at the Burrow before returning with Ron to Hogwarts the next day.  
  
They sat alone in Ron's quidditch decorated room at the top of the house.  
  
"Ron, we can't just sit here and let the dementors. . ."  
  
"What do you suggest we do, Harry?" Ron shrugged.  
  
Harry jumped up and shook him angrily. "Ron, I don't know what we can do, all I know is that we have to do it! If we don't we'll lose Hermione! And I don't know about you, but I couldn't bare to lose another person in my life, not again!"  
  
Ron was in a daze, he was still staring in disbelief, not quite taking in what had happened. Harry was past the disbelief, the denial, the anger was resting on him. But as that began to subside, fear kicked in. That night, the family sat around the table, in silence. Ginny was sobbing quietly into a soaking hankie, the twins were sober for the first time in their life. Mrs Weasley was staring into the air, unseeing as silent tears fell down her red cheeks.  
  
Ron put his arm around his little sister. "It's alright Gin, Dumbledore'll sort it out, he'll get Hermione back. I'm telling you, she'll walk in through that door any minute now." Ron was somewhat a few stages behind Harry, still in denial.  
  
"Dumbledore?" Harry spat. "Dumbledore is nothing any more, his power has gone, he can't help us! I stopped Voldemort when I was one, a defenceless baby, he can't stop him with a whole army behind him."  
  
"You weren't defenceless." Ginny said, shaking back a sob.  
  
"What?"  
  
"She's right Harry, your mother protected you." Ron said.  
  
Harry shrugged. "So what?"  
  
At that point Lupin and Tonks entered the subdued living room. Tonks ran up to Harry and hugged him. He shook her off. Lupin put his hand on his shoulder. Tonks turned to Ginny, and began to comfort her.  
  
"What's happening?" Harry asked.  
  
Lupin looked gaunt and ill. He had never quite recovered from the attack on Grimmauld Place. Behind them, standing in the door way, stood a sober, serious looking, Snape. Harry looked past Lupin to the figure darkening the already black room.  
  
"Miss Granger." Snape began, but broke off, shocked at the emotion in his normally calm voice.  
  
"What's happened?" Harry repeated.  
  
Delvarney pushed her way into the room, past the firm statue of the potion's teacher. She shook her head, at the sight of the sad faces.  
  
"I'm so sorry!" 


	28. Hermione's Letter

A/N Thanks for all the reviews!! I can't believe I'm updating so quickly . . .oh well I ain't complaining. And for all those observant people out there, you'll have noticed that I have finally given my story a name!! (after twenty seven chapters it's about time!!) ^_^ anyway please r&r!!  
  
Chapter twenty eight ~ Hermione's Letter  
  
Dear Mum and Dad,  
  
If you're reading this letter, then the worst has come to the worst. I'm not really sure where to start, Harry will explain, anything I don't. But as you know Lord Voldemort has returned and is.oh I'm doing this all wrong. I'm using my last words to you, to explain a load of trivial things that no longer matter.  
  
The thing is I got accused of something, something terrible. Giving secrets to the enemy, resulting in my friends being brutally murdered. But the thing you have to remember, is that I'm innocent. I admit, I did pass on secrets, but not initially. I saw a good flicker inside an evil person, and thrived on the hope that perhaps this person was not completely bad. But this spark flickered out, and I was mistaken.  
  
Anyway, if you are reading this, I am sorry. I am sorry for being so stupid as to see a good spark in someone so evil. I am sorry for not telling you the truth, and making you read it. I am sorry, you could not protect me.  
  
I wish I'd had the guts to tell you, but I couldn't. I couldn't face the fear and pain I would have to put you through. Harry and Ron have been wonderful. I had expected them to hate me for what I did, I would have deserved it. I should have been expelled for what I did, but it was like Dumbledore understood everything. I think he's seen the spark.  
  
If your reading, this coarse hurried pain-filled words, it means I'm guilty, guilty as sin! That I don't have a right to live any more. For I did a terrible thing. You can dress it up as much as you like, murder is murder. I'm sorry that I let you down. I'm sorry for everything, I'm sorry.  
  
No matter what happens, I'll love you forever. I never dreamed of being a martyr, but as each day goes by I see people dying to protect the world they were born into. Like Sirius, he died for his godson, like Mr and Mrs Potter, they died for their son. And me, I die for you.  
  
My Love Forever Hermione xx.  
  
Harry delivered the letter, into the sobbing hands of Mrs Granger, before boarding the Hogwarts express back to school. He scanned the papers for news of Hermione, but Dumbledore refused to let him do anything. Dumbledore promised to handle the situation, and said that Harry getting involved could only make things worse. But the situation was already so bad, it was hard to see how it could possibly be made any worse.  
  
Harry didn't pay attention in lessons, he didn't listen as the teachers drummed useless facts into his empty head.  
  
Snape noticed, and made him stay behind after lessons.  
  
"Potter, paying attention in my lessons may prove crucial."  
  
"In what way?"  
  
"In helping Miss Granger, of course."  
  
"Dumbledore's told me that I'm not allowed to help."  
  
"That's never prevented you before."  
  
Harry could hardly believe his ears, was Snape actually telling him to go against Dumbledore.  
  
"I don't understand. . ."  
  
"Oh don't play dumb with me Potter. You have never bothered about the rules before." "Are you telling me to go against Dumbledore?"  
  
"Dumbledore is playing it safe, Granger is in trouble, he is trying to protect you also. But sometimes, Potter, and you know what I'm talking about, what you need more then protection is to fight."  
  
"I don't understand." Harry said.  
  
"Maybe you could save Granger quicker then Dumbledore could." He said, briefly.  
  
"Is Dumbledore losing his power?"  
  
Snape smiled, cruelly. "He never had it to begin with, it was all imagined power, what people believed him to be, I'm afraid, he may not live up to expectations."  
  
Harry left the dungeons, more confused then ever. He sat down at the dining table, and was greeted by Ron's fear struck face.  
  
"What's happened?" Harry demanded.  
  
Ron couldn't speak, he thrust the paper across to Harry. "Where? Where?" He pointed to a tiny corner of print at the bottom.  
  
'The girl found guilty of passing secrets to the Dark Side was given the worst penalty available, the Dementor's Kiss. The Kiss was performed this afternoon.'  
  
Harry threw the paper down, he ran to the toilet, and was violently sick. 


	29. Azkaban

A/N Thanks to everyone who has reviewed my story!! ^_^ Heres the next chapter!!  
  
Chapter twenty nine ~ Azkaban.  
  
Hermione pulled and tugged as the guards took her away. She resisted as much as possible, until she had no strength left in her. Afterwards she chided herself for the waste of energy she would desperately need later on.  
  
Eventually the guards were tired of her shouting, pulling and complaining. She felt a heavy object collide heavily with her skull, she fell to the ground, unconscious.  
  
She awoke several hours later, a coat of dried blood sheening her hair red. She sat up, and stared around her. She was in some sort of cell.  
  
She reached up, and ran her hands along the grimy, moss covered walls, pulling them away in disgust. She wiped them clean on her filthy robes, and stood up, adjusting her eyes to the gloom.  
  
She put her hand up to her throbbing head, her already filthy hand was covered with sticky blood. She choked at the sight of her hand.  
  
She began to feel faint, and sank down to the floor, falling unconciuos against the cold stone.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~  
  
"I'm gonna kill him!" Harry said, to Ron as they marched into the Dining Room.  
  
Ron nodded, and flexed his fist. They were of course talking about Draco Malfoy. Draco was sitting with a group of Slytherins, who appeared to be having a very good joke about something, Harry and Ron could only guess.  
  
They strolled over to the Slytherin table. Harry grabbed Draco by the scruff of the neck, and pulled him up.  
  
"What you wanna have a go here, Potter? In front of everyone?" Draco said, forcing the sneer on to his face. The rest of the Slytherins began to form a circle around Harry and Ron. It was a bad place to start a fight.  
  
"Where then?" Harry demanded.  
  
Draco grinned. "You name a place and time, and I'll be there."  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"What's going on?" Tamarisk forced her way through the circle of boys. She sighed at the sight of Harry and Draco fighting.  
  
"Honestly boys, can't we just live together in peace and harmony?" Shje asked.  
  
"Not whilst there is still scum on this earth." Ron said.  
  
"The trophy room, midnight, tonight." Harry muttered.  
  
Draco grinned and nodded, as Harry released him.  
  
Harry and Ron stalked off, leaving Draco already formulating a plan.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~  
  
Several hours later, someone pulled Hermione roughly up from the floor. She was half conscious, half aware of being dragged out of the cell and down a stone corridor. She struggled, half heartedly, but made no impact on her captor. But as she was dragged into an open room, she was instantly awake. She felt a great sadness fall on her. No longer could she think of escape, Dumbledore and Harry were driven from her mind. Her only thoughts were of death and suffering. She was reliving the worst moments of her life. After Harry had taken the cup and disappeared at the Triwizard Tournament. When Sirius had fallen through the curtain at the Ministry of Magic. . .  
  
She was dragged in front of a grand chair, where sat the cold grotesque figure of Voldemort himself. Not that she saw much, her eyes were clouded with tears brought on by her worst memories. The death of her father, her mother's announcement of marriage. . . her memories continued. And she couldn't think why, she glanced round her and screamed. Standing behind was a hooded, soul sucking, creature of darkness, none other then a dementor.  
  
Voldemort clicked his long slender fingers to regain her attention.  
  
"Mudblood." He said.  
  
She couldn't bare to look him in the face.  
  
"Mudblood, the dementor is waiting for you. But before you die, I want to thank you. For it was you who gave me the whereabouts of the Order's hideout. Now I can put my plans into action, I couldn't never have done it without you. You see there is a spy, one of my spies, but the Order were on to me. Everyone who died in that attack knew who my spy was." Voldemort explained.  
  
"Why are you telling me this?"  
  
"Well, without you mudblood, my plans would have been foiled and my spy unearthed."  
  
"You're demented." She gasped.  
  
"Why thank you." He said, with a cold smirk.  
  
"I never meant to tell you anything, Malfoy tricked me. But Malfoy is of course working for you."  
  
"Naturally, how could it be any different?"  
  
"I saw something in Malfoy, he won't stay loyal to you forever. One day, he'll turn, just like the rest of your followers."  
  
"How's that?" He demanded.  
  
"You are nothing compared to Dumbledore. . ."  
  
But at the name of Dumbledore, the Dark Lord raised his wand. "Crucio."  
  
She screamed in pain, the worst pain she had ever felt in her life.  
  
Eventually he lifted his wand. "You were saying?"  
  
"Your supporters. . ." she gasped. "They follow you because they have too, not because they want. And one day, when you fall they will abandon you. But Dumbledore, we follow him because we want to, because we trust him."  
  
"If Dumbledore fell, his supporters would scarper."  
  
Hermione shook her head. "I wouldn't."  
  
"Well, unfortunately, you'll be dead." He said, with a sneer.  
  
He clicked his fingers once more, and the Dementor began to slide forward, heading for the grimy girl. Hermione screamed and covered her mousy brown head, with her hands. Not that her hands would be much protection against the soul sucking guard of Azkaban. 


	30. McGonagall in Charge

Chapter Thirty ~ McGonagall in Charge  
  
The night fell quickly, but not quickly enough for Harry and Ron. They were eager for midnight to come so as to have their revenge. They didn't know where, or what was happening to Hermione,  
  
Malfoy was in charge of the newspapers, so any information could not be counted as entirely reliable. Dumbledore had not returned to the school, and Harry desperately hoped rather then thought him to be helping Hermione. So McGonagall was in charge, she seemed very stressed and no one dared to mess around in Transfiguration. Even Fred and George Weasley (had they still been at Hogwarts) would have thought twice about messing around in McGonagall's class.  
  
Harry and Ron left the Great Hall as soon as they had finished dinner.  
  
They tried to avoid the Gryfindor girls, but they couldn't hide forever.  
  
"Harry, where's Hermione? What's going?" Lavender asked, Parvati nodded from her side.  
  
"Mudblood's dead." Malfoy sniggered as he walked past.  
  
"What?!" Lavender demanded.  
  
"Or as good as."  
  
Harry jumped at him, throwing against the wall.  
  
"What is going on here!?" McGonagall demanded, emerging from the Great Hall as the cry of 'fight' sounded out.  
  
"Tonight." Harry said, with a glare.  
  
Malfoy grinned and walked away. Harry sighed, and collapsed against the wall.  
  
"Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, please follow me." McGonagall said.  
  
"But we haven't done anything, Malfoy started it. . ." Ron began.  
  
McGonagall shook her head. "It's not about that." She turned, her cloak swishing, as she led them to her office. She stepped aside for them to step inside.  
  
"Sit down." They sat.  
  
"You may be wondering why I asked to speak to you. Well, it concerns Miss Granger."  
  
Harry jumped up. "How is she? What's happened?"  
  
"Calm down." McGonagall said, taking a deep breath. "I have just received an owl from Professor Dumbledore. He obviously can't say much, but he hasn't given up yet. . ."  
  
"Hermione?" Harry demanded.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr Potter." She said, shaking her head.  
  
"What I don't understand!" Harry said.  
  
"Look just say it. What's happened?" Ron asked, jumping up beside his friend.  
  
McGonagall's eyes began to water ever so slightly, she swallowed the lump growing in her throat.  
  
"It is believed that her soul was taken by the dementors."  
  
"NOOOO!!" Harry screamed. "NOOOO, everyone I have ever had has been taken from me, I will not lose Hermione! I will not lose Hermione!" He shouted.  
  
Ron just collapsed back in his chair, hand on chest, finding breathing very difficult.  
  
McGonagall shook her head. "I'm sorry."  
  
Harry picked up a chair and threw it across the room, it thudded against the wall, making a slight dent. He screamed, and flung the nearest table over. McGonagall stopped him in his tracks with an issue of sparks from her wand. "Mr Potter!" She yelled.  
  
"What on earth is going. . .?" Snape began as he flung open the door. "Ah." He said, softly when he saw a seething Potter, and a shocked Weasley.  
  
Harry looked across at him with contempt. "Couldn't you save her?"  
  
Snape pursed his lips together. "No one could have saved her."  
  
McGonagall sighed. It didn't seem right, such a happy clever girl cut down in the prime of her life. She held her head in her hands, close to despair, when she remembered avidly Dumbledore had left her in charge, to keep the students and the school together. She couldn't fail him.  
  
"You could have, you were there."  
  
"To reveal myself would have been to die with her, not save her." Snape said, in his usual sneering, silky voice.  
  
"Then you should have died with her, at least she wouldn't be alone." Harry stormed out, barging past Snape. Ron got up and chased after him on McGonagall's recommendation.  
  
"Harry?" Ron shouted out, as he followed him down the corridor.  
  
"I'm gonna kill Malfoy."  
  
Harry wasn't going to wait for midnight, he was going to get Malfoy, teachers or not. He marched into the Great Hall, Malfoy was entertaining the Slytherin girls with a funny story. Harry strolled up to him, grabbed his shoulder and threw him to the ground.  
  
"Hermione's dead because of you! I'm gonna kill you!" He shouted, pulling his wand out. The Slytherins had backed away, watching from a distant.  
  
Harry pointed his wand directly at Malfoy, and dragged him up from the floor. Before Malfoy had a chance to reach for his wand he was flung across the table. Harry pointed his wand at him.  
  
And in those few seconds he was ready to kill, the incantation ready on his lips.  
  
"Wait!" Malfoy shouted, he saw a similar look in Harry's eyes that he often saw in his father's, it was the look of absolute hatred.  
  
Harry sneered. "Say goodbye."  
  
"Wait, I can save her."  
  
"I'm not gonna take no more shit from you Malfoy, I don't believe a word that pours from your lying mouth!" He said, shaking with fury.  
  
"They've taken her soul, but she's still alive."  
  
"Worse then dead." Harry growled.  
  
"But I could get her soul back. . ." Malfoy staggered as Harry let him go.  
  
"What?"  
  
Draco made a show of brushing the dirt from his ruffled robes. "I could get her soul back." He repeated, softly, an odd glint in his sparkling eyes. 


	31. The Rock

Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter.  
  
A/N Haven't updated for a while, so I thought it was time I did!! Tell me what you think!! Many Thanks. JessieRose.  
  
Chapter Thirty One ~ The Rock  
  
A soul. What is a soul? And what is it not to have a soul? A soul is the key to a person, it is almost their link to life. So what happens when this link is severed? They lose their life?  
  
Harry didn't know what to make of Draco's absurd claim, to such a power as to restore life to someone. But when he thought about it, Malfoy wasn't bringing someone back to life, rather restoring life back to a person.  
  
He stepped away from him, as though in shook and nearly stumbled over the watching crowd. Ron didn't step back.  
  
Tamarisk forced her way through the crowd. She stopped angrily at the sight of her brother.  
  
"Draco!" She snarled. "Follow me." Draco trooped after his sister, through the gap that had been created in the watching people.  
  
Harry shakily turned to follow. Ron grabbed him.  
  
"We'll sort Malfoy out later." He said, quietly.  
  
Harry nodded, and the two trooped up to the common room. They sat by the fire, staring into the orangey flickering flames.  
  
"What's a soul Ron?"  
  
"A soul? It's a person's life force, without it they are nothing, they can't think, sleep, eat, they just wonder the earth, aimlessly, pointlessly, in abject misery, suffering a thousand agonies every second. . ." Ron launched into the explanation but was halted by Harry.  
  
"And is it possible to restore someone's soul once it has been taken?"  
  
Ron shrugged. "Well, normally I'd say no, but after what Malfoy said, I mean maybe he has found a way to reunite people with their souls."  
  
"Lie to me." Harry said.  
  
"Of course it's possible, in fact it's been done before." Ron told him. "Better?" He asked.  
  
Harry nodded. "A lot better."  
  
Harry got up.  
  
"Where you going?"  
  
"To talk to Malfoy, Hermione needs help, and maybe he can help her."  
  
"Malfoy never helps anyone but 'imself." Ron muttered as he clambered up.  
  
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-  
  
Hermione was thrown back into the grimy cell, by the jeering death eater. She didn't look at him, and just sat huddled on the floor. Staring out of her unseeing eyes. Her mind was blank, she couldn't think, or move, she saw no reason too. She couldn't remember who she was, where she was or why.  
  
Her eyes roved the cell, but her mind was greeted by blackness. She still saw the grimy bars, the moss covered walls, and square box she was trapped in, but nothing registered in her mind.  
  
So might as well have been blind for all she could see. And then followed this fear and agony, she didn't know who she was.  
  
She lay down on the floor, if she had an emotion she would have cried, but her soul was gone, so was every feeling in her body. Her mind was numb as she lay on the stone, no sense of time entered her mind. She knew, nor cared, nor noticed how long she lay like that.  
  
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Dumbledore sighed, he was too late. The words rang through his ancient mind, as he stood dejectedly, staring out across the blue sparkly water of death. Miles away across the sea one of his students lay, desperately needing his help, and he couldn't do anything for he. The sun shone, giving the appearance of a beautiful day, but nothing was beautiful anymore.  
  
Dumbledore held a rock in his old, tired hand. With a sigh, he lobbed it out across the crystal waters, watching as it skimmed the waves and sunk to the bottom.  
  
I mean who were they kidding, Dumbledore and his followers, they were the rock, and the sea was Voldemort. Eventually, no matter how long they skimmed across, they'd all fall down into the blue depths.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head, trying to get all such despairing thoughts from his mind. And with a grim smile he stood up straight. No matter how one sided the odds were, no matter how unfair the fight seemed, the rock still skimmed hard across the water, trying to stay afloat, even though the very laws of gravity were against.  
  
And so they would carry on fighting, even though everything was against, even though their chance of victory was so small, they would fight.  
  
It has been said, that until a man has found something he would die for, he does not deserve to live. Well Dumbledore had found it, the thing he would die for.  
  
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-  
  
And it seemed so had Harry. The three of them, stood in the cold trophy room, the clock having just struck midnight. It took all of Harry's self restraint, not to lunge at Malfoy and attack. But he managed it.  
  
"Not fighting, Potter?" Malfoy demanded.  
  
"What's the point in killing you, when you can help?"  
  
"Kill me?" Malfoy scoffed. "You couldn't kill me."  
  
"Why's that? 'Cause you're a death eater, 'cause I wouldn't dare? Now just tell me where Hermione is."  
  
"Well, half of her is Azkaban!"  
  
"What do you mean half of her?"  
  
"Look, you're too late, the dementors have taken her soul. There is nothing you can do now." Draco turned and was about to leave.  
  
Harry raised his wand and pointed it straight at his back. "Move one more step Malfoy, and I swear on Sirius's grave, I'll kill you."  
  
Malfoy stopped dead. He knew how much Potter admired his godfather, this was not an empty threat. He turned round.  
  
"You're lying." Ron said, bitterly. "Today you said you could get her soul back."  
  
"Well, I was wrong." Draco replied, the sneer had dropped from his voice. He desperately wished he had brought Goyle and Crabbe.  
  
Draco cleared his throat. "What's in it for me, if I help you?"  
  
Harry smiled. "Dumbledore will spare your life when your side falls."  
  
Draco was about to laugh, but he saw the cruel twisted smile sprawled across his adversary's face and thought better of it. "We won't fall." He said, calmly.  
  
Harry shrugged. "Whatever, I don't really care, all I want is Hermione."  
  
"Then swap places with her."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You can exchange your soul, for hers." 


	32. Ron Meets Snape

A/N I really need help with this story now, I'm kinda like hitting a wall!! How can I make it better, 'cause at the moment I don't really like it!! So any kind of review is appreicated.but if your gonna flame you could at least say WHY!! Anyway heres the next chapter!! Sorry it took so long!!  
  
Chapter Thirty Two ~ Ron Meets Snape.  
  
"I'll do it." Harry replied, without a moment of hesitation.  
  
Draco nodded, in wonder. He could feel the true friendship between Harry and Hermione, he laughed inside as he imaged Crabbe or Goyle giving up their soul for his.  
  
"What do I have to do?"  
  
"Wait a sec Harry, why should you do it? Hermione is my friend too, we're in this together."  
  
Harry and Draco ignored Ron as he bumbled on. "There must be another way."  
  
"That's just an old cliché, Ron. You know there is no other way!" Harry sighed, angrily.  
  
"But surely if Dumbledore knew this, he would have done something!"  
  
"Dumbledore cannot give his soul to save Granger, he considers himself too important." Draco replied.  
  
"Shut up Malfoy, you're just trying to put thoughts into Harry's head." Ron replied. He turned to his friend. "You can't do this."  
  
"What you want me to leave Hermione? When I know I can save her?"  
  
"You don't know anything! This is Malfoy we're talking about."  
  
Malfoy gave an exaggerated cough, and faked a hurt look. "Have I ever lied to you?"  
  
"Do you want me to even answer that one?"  
  
Harry got Malfoy by the scruff of the neck, and pushed him against the nearest trophy cabinet. "Why should we trust you? It's your fault that Hermione is in this situation."  
  
Draco pulled his cloak from Harry's cold grasp. "Ah, my friend," the words curled from his forked tongue. "You have no choice but to trust me, I am the only chance you have."  
  
Harry stepped back, the effect of the words reeling over him. Eventually he nodded. But Ron was not so easily convinced. "Harry! How can we trust him? After everything? I mean his father. . ."  
  
"Shut up!" Harry and Draco said, together.  
  
Ron held his hands up. "You know what Harry, fine! You do what you like! I don't give a stuff anymore, you wanna trust his word, then fine go ahead, see what I care. But I'll tell you something 'mate' I shall bloody well enjoy saying I told you so, when you come crawling back, IF you come back."  
  
Ron made for the door.  
  
"Ron. . ." Harry began.  
  
"Let him go." Draco said.  
  
Ron turned back. "Hermione is gone, Harry. And we have to accept that. But let me remind you, that boy your standing next to, the boy you're making a deal with, is the reason she's gone!" Ron stormed out. Ron stormed up to the dormitory, he didn't care any more, let Harry do whatever he liked. He threw himself down in one of the stuffed chairs, and watched the crackling fire. And as he sat there, his mind was transported into the past, and his eyes saw Sirius's head pop through the flames. Sirius had been trapped at 12 Grimmauld Place, trapped, with the walls closing in around him, so much so the place had began to resemble Azkaban. Ron shook his head, and his thoughts were transported back to his present predicament.  
  
Sirius had known it was foolish to go to the ministry, but he'd done it for Harry. Ron thought. Whatever happened, he couldn't let Harry down, he couldn't let Harry face whatever Malfoy had up his sleeve alone. He knew it was a trap, but Harry was blindfolded by his love for Hermione. He couldn't let Harry walk alone into the trap, could he?  
  
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Dumbledore sat alone in his office. The candles long since distinguished, he sat alone in the darkness of night. Not that morning brought much light with it. The portraits around him slept in their frames, paying little or no attention to the troubled headmaster. Fawkes pawed under his hand, and he stroked the phoenix rather absent-mindedly.  
  
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Ron, too, was alone with the darkness and his thoughts, seriously debating whether or not to go to Dumbledore. But what if Snape said was true, and that Dumbledore had no real power? He shook his head, pushed himself up and paced the room. Whatever happened he couldn't leave Harry, nor could he betray him, so going to Dumbledore was ruled out.  
  
Eventually, when he could no longer pace the dark, he barged from the dormitory, much to the distress of the Fat Lady.  
  
He crept down the cold, once packed corridors of the school, picking his way through. He desperately wished he had Harry's invisibilty cloak, but of course that was with Harry, wherever in the world he was.  
  
Ron had to talk to someone, Tamarisk? Calico Delvarney? Someone. Infact he made a pact the next person he saw he was going to tell. Unfortunately that person was. . .  
  
"Weasley, what are you doing out of bed?" Came a cruel, cold voice in the blackness.  
  
"Professor!" Ron said, shocked.  
  
Snape's lip curled. He stared through the darkness, past Ron as though looking for someone. "Where's Potter?" He barked.  
  
Ron shrugged.  
  
Snape's eyes narrowed, scrutinising Ron as though trying to detect whether he was lying or not.  
  
"Where did you leave him?"  
  
"I didn't leave him anywhere, I don't know where he is." Ron said, not meeting the gaze of his teacher.  
  
"Come with me." Snape said, as he headed towards his office.  
  
"Professor?" Ron began, running to catch up.  
  
Snape raised his eyebrows, slightly, as an invitation to continue.  
  
"What happens after the dementors have taken your soul?"  
  
The teacher stopped abruptly. "It's gone forever, I'm sorry Weasley." Was the reply, but the voice did not sound sorry. They continued walking.  
  
"But what if you could get it back. . ."  
  
"You can't."  
  
"Well, what happens to it?"  
  
Snape stopped again, this time out of anger. "Listen to me boy, don't go doing anything rash, there is nothing that could save Miss Granger now."  
  
"But what if. . .?"  
  
"No."  
  
"You're not listening." Ron said.  
  
"You're the one who isn't listening, Weasley. There is nothing you can do for Granger now."  
  
"But she's still alive, which must mean we can help her! Sir, I can't just abandon her, she's family. What would you do if it was Rayola?"  
  
"Weasley!" He said, warningly.  
  
"What about a soul swap?"  
  
He pushed open the door to his office. "In. Sit."  
  
"So? What about a soul swap?" Ron persisted.  
  
"For a start, fifty points from Gryfindor for being out of bed, and a detention tomorrow night. . ."  
  
"I don't care, what about a soul swap?"  
  
Snape was grave. "A soul swap is a very dangerous practice, Mr Weasley. Besides it wouldn't work."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because. . ."  
  
"What about a switching spell? Delvarney told us about 'em right at the start of the year, where you can swap places with another person!" Ron said, quickly.  
  
"With such a fine memory Weasley you will also note that the captor has to agree to the switch. And there is no one the Dark Lord would swap for Granger who would also be willing to exchange places. . ."  
  
"Say someone did, what would happen to her soul?"  
  
Snape shrugged. "It depends."  
  
"So you can give a soul back?"  
  
"Weasley we are not having this conversation, now shut the door on your way back to bed."  
  
"We are." Ron said. "So if I was going to swap. . ."  
  
Snape sneered. "I doubt the dark lord would wish to be pestered with the likes of you."  
  
"Or Harry?"  
  
Snape jumped up, and grabbed Ron. "Where's Potter?" He asked urgently.  
  
Ron remained silent.  
  
"Weasley this is important. The foolish boy could be walking straight into a trap. Where is he?"  
  
A/N Okay another chapter over with!! Remember I need help!! Many Thanks!! ~JessieRose~ 


	33. Real Courage

A/N I'd just like to say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far!! You keep me going!! I have had a bit of difficulty writing this chapter, I had loads of ideas just wasn't sure how to put them!! Please don't waste your time and mine by flaming, but phrase your reviews with constructive criticism . . . if something is wrong with my story I really need to know. Anyway enough of me going on. . .here's my next chapter!!  
  
Chapter Thirty Three ~ Real Courage  
  
"Ok, so what do I have to do?" Harry asked, gritting his teeth. He could hardly standing being in the same room as Draco Malfoy, but having to talk to him, and listen carefully to his replies was almost torture.  
  
Draco smirked. It was not his usual cold, calculating smirk, but one of rebellion. "It's simple really, any fool could do it. Then again you might have a bit of trouble."  
  
Harry scowled. "We don't have time for this Malfoy!"  
  
Draco shook his head. "Unless it failed your notice, let me reiterate the situation to you. Mudblood is in my father's hand and is currently without a soul, you want to help, and only I know how."  
  
"You're loving this, aren't you?" Harry demanded.  
  
"Every second." Draco replied.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~  
  
"A soul swap is not a simple straight forward business, Weasley." Snape said, silkily.  
  
Ron sniffed. "I know. But Harry feels he must help, and when Malfoy. . ."  
  
"Malfoy?!" Snape snarled.  
  
Ron nodded, glumly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~  
  
"You see Potter, the souls are kept, stored if you like, in the Marinachi, the headquarters of the dementors. It was once controlled by the ministry, but over the years they have slowly lost any foothold they had there. Fudge was too scared to try and reclaim command. . ."  
  
"Is this leading somewhere?" Harry demanded. The idea of Draco instructing him, was very trying on his shallow temper.  
  
"Calm down." Malfoy sneered. "I'm just savouring my hour of control."  
  
"Make the most of it."  
  
"I intend to." Malfoy grinned. "So where was I? So that's where the souls are kept, guarded supposedly by the dementors, but there is the rumour that something else guards the dark hallways of Marinachi. Putting that aside, you have to remove your soul, and have someone take it to Marinachi and exchange it for Mudblood's."  
  
"You'll take it?" Harry demanded.  
  
Draco shook his head. "I doubt you'd trust, and besides only a fool would walk openly into Marinachi."  
  
"You're scared." Harry said. "So I have to release my soul, and take it. . ."  
  
"No, someone must take it for you, you won't be able to think without your soul. Don't suppose you'd know that, your mother being what she was. . ."  
  
Harry glared but didn't raise to the bait. His mind was already on the dark, sinister halls way of Marinchi, and the spell he would have to perform. . .and there was the but. But who was going to exchange the souls?  
  
"I suggest you read this." Malfoy tossed him a book.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~  
  
"The Marinachi ~ the mystical, dangerous land of the dementors. Many years ago these foul, life sucking creatures were banished from our fair lands. They destroyed everything the wizarding world stood for, and it soon became evident that they could not be controlled. They left our cities, our world and formed their own city, a safe house for all banished creatures. The Marinachi, is a stone fortress, not dissimilar to Azkaban, it's forbidding turrets tower above the clouds, as the grey stone rots.  
  
When Azkaban was first founded, the ministry got together to decide on a guard. Many different species were studied, and aurors were the first choice. But no one feared the aurors, many were attacked and killed, or badly hurt. So we needed a more powerful guard, one who inspired fear into the hearts of all wizards. The answer, the long forgotten dementors.  
  
The ministry travelled to the Marinachi and made a deal with the soul sucking creatures. Many wizards campaigned against reintroducing these creatures to our world, but it was eventually decided that the good points out weighed the bad. Besides the dementors would be completely cut off from society on the floating fortress of Azkaban.  
  
And so the dementors came under the servitude of the ministry. But it certainly is not in their nature to obey orders, and I cannot see how they will remain true to us. The Marinachi still stands, hidden away in distant lands, covered by thick smog and unplottable, unfinadable, even if one would dare venture there.  
  
So what makes the dementors the choice for the guards? Their ability to take away someone's life force, someone's soul, would definitely put them as the number one dangerous creature. And yet the ministry has allowed them to walk openly through the lands of wizards. How long will it be until they turn against us? Before they attack? Who knows what they are up to in the Marinachi, hidden away from the rest of the world?  
  
It is rumoured that once they have taken a soul, it is stored in the Marinachi, to be used when needed. No one is quite sure what the dementors use the souls for. Once a soul has been taken it cannot be retrieved. . .unless by a soul swap. There is no record of a soul swap ever being successful."  
  
Harry read the page from the book. The clock chimed two, and he yawned loudly. The common room was deserted, but the fire still crackled in it's grate. The eerie silence, settled on Harry, almost as heavily as the enormous task that lay before him. Not only did he have to remove his own soul, but find someone willing to travel to almost certain death to The Marinachi.  
  
He sighed in despair, beaten before he had begun. His sleepy eyes closed, and his mind gently shut off, as he fell into an uneasy slumber. His dream was of Hermione, as he knew it would be. She was calling for him, begging for his help. She was in pain, clutching at her knees, as a giant dementor towered over her beaten body.  
  
Harry jumped up in alarm, and although the thought did not occur to him at the time, he certainly remembered it afterwards. Voldemort's amazing power to control what Harry saw and heard in his dreams.  
  
Back in first year, he had been prepared to face the Dark Lord on his own, he would not have survived but for his two faithful friends. Second year had been similar, the image of Hermione lying on the hospital bed, petrified by the Basilisk, was too much for his memory. And he shook his mind back to present day.  
  
It didn't matter that he was beaten before he had begun. It didn't matter that he had lost before he had even started. He was going to start anyway. That's what real courage is. Knowing you're licked before your try, but doing it anyway.  
  
A/N Please review!! ^_^ 


	34. A Hagrid Helper

A/N To start with I'd just like to say thanks to every single one of my reviewers. I really appreciate every word. I'm having a lot of trouble with this story, but have at last decided to update. Please tell me what you think of this chapter.  
  
A/N2 Sorry if this is out of character, I did try and stay true to J K Rowling, but this isn't supposed to be written in her style. This is my style, and my story, with her characters. Constructive criticism is welcomed with open arms. I am at the moment working on rewrites for earlier chapters, so any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Anyway enough rambling and on with the story.  
  
Chapter Thirty Four ~ A Hagrid Helper  
  
Ron shook Harry awake the next morning. "I'm in." He said, quietly.  
  
Harry jumped up, and rubbed his tired eyes. At first he thought he was hearing things, his heart surged with relief. With Ron by his side, there was no way they could fail, well at least the chance of the aforementioned failure was decreased, however slightly.  
  
Harry raised his eyebrows.  
  
Ron nodded, in answer to the unspoken question.  
  
"Then it begins." He said, grabbing his wand from the table.  
  
Harry spent the day showing the book, and repeated to Ron everything Malfoy had said. At the end, a shadowy plan had formed in the boys mind.  
  
"So that's what we'll do."  
  
Ron nodded. There was one problem left, the matter of removing the soul. Harry refused to think about it, he stuffed it to the back of his mind, and tried to ignore it, as it pressed harder. However, Ron couldn't forget something so important. There must be a potion, or something, right?  
  
But no, I mean who would want to remove their soul, on purpose.  
  
"I'm sorry Harry, but I don't understand how we're gonna do it." He said.  
  
"Times like this we really need Hermione." Harry said, with a slight grin.  
  
Ron nodded. "Harry, we need help. We can't do this alone." He muttered. It was a depressing thought. His best friend was trouble, and they couldn't save her. "I think we should go to Dumbledore."  
  
"You said you were in. That's it Ron, you can't go back on it now. Dumbledore won't help us."  
  
"You've changed Harry." Ron said, aggressively.  
  
"Good, because I needed too. Look Ron, if you want something doing you have to do it yourself, you can't rely on no one in this World." Harry replied. "Now I'm going, you can come or you can stay here. Quite frankly, I don't care either way." Harry said. He snapped the book shut, and tossed it onto the table.  
  
"And where are you planning to. . .I know. . .let's talk to Hagrid. . .he'll help us. And besides he's been to the mountains before, he could lead us there."  
  
Harry was silent as though trying to think of a reason not to talk to their friend. Eventually, he nodded.  
  
"Hagrid we need your help." Harry said, simply as the groundskeeper opened the door to his hut. He looked surprised at the sight of Ron and Harry standing on the step.  
  
"Shouldn't ya be in lessons?" He asked, gruffly, stepping aside so they could enter.  
  
Harry shook his head. "We have more important things to be doing. . ."  
  
"Then potions." Ron added.  
  
"Listen Hagrid, we have to help Hermione, we can't just leave her there to die. It wouldn't be right." Harry began.  
  
Hagrid fumbled with the teapot, he didn't like where this was going. "Look 'Arry. . ."  
  
"No, hear us out. Malfoy told me that, well, there is a way we can help her. Get her soul back. . ."  
  
"Bloody liar." Hagrid said. But not convincingly enough.  
  
"Hagrid, if there is a way I'll find it. He told us about the Marinachi." Harry said, quietly.  
  
Hagrid stood up, and walked slowly to the window. "You not serious? You know what the Marin'chi is? It's death, 'Arry, it's death." Said Hagrid.  
  
Ron got up, and stood next to Hagrid, staring out onto the deserted field. Deserted, of course, because all the other students were in lessons. There was a group of first years on the far end, receiving their flying lessons from Madame Hooch. Ron watched them wistfully.  
  
"Believe me when I say Hagrid, I wish I was one of them, I really do. But I'm not, I'm Ron Weasley, and my best friend is in trouble. Maybe if I wasn't I could turn my back to her, pretend like everythin' was fine. But I can't, I can't help caring, Hagrid."  
  
"You'll be killed." Hagrid said.  
  
"That's why we want you to come with us."  
  
For a few minutes silence prevailed in the hut, all that could be heard was the distinct thumping of Harry's heart, and Ron's breathing as they waited nervously for the verdict. There was a chance that Hagrid would go mad, and march straight into the school, straight to Dumbledore. They didn't dare look at each, they didn't want to see the hope on the other's face. But this was their last chance, it all rested on the next word from Hagrid's mouth. It tilted on the edge of a knife.  
  
Distant laughter could be heard from the huddle of first years.  
  
"Remember our first flying lesson?" Ron asked.  
  
Harry nodded. "Malfoy stole Neville's Rememberall."  
  
"An' you went to get it, 'Mione threatened to tell McGonagall."  
  
Harry smiled, slightly. It was strange how things had changed since the innocence of first year. The joys of being normal, just having homework and grumpy teachers to deal with. But like Ron had said, they weren't normal, he was Harry Potter.  
  
"I wish. . ."  
  
But Ron didn't need to finish, gloom settled on the silent hut, as the first years continued to zoom on their old school brooms. Hagrid hadn't spoken a word, he seemed deep in thought. Eventually, he turned to the two boys.  
  
He shrugged. "Can't let you go on your own. You'll get yourselves killed."  
  
"You mean you'll help us?" Harry breathed, hardly daring to believe. Hagrid was their last chance.  
  
Hagrid nodded his big head. "We can't 'bandon 'Mione now can we. How we gonna get there though?"  
  
Harry jumped up. "Well, I was kinda hoping you had some dragons, or hippogriffs tucked away in the forest."  
  
"Well, now yer come to mention it. . ."  
  
A/N3 Okay was it worth the wait? Probably not. Please review. Oh and can anyone tell me what happened to Hagrid's half brother at the end of Order of the Phoenix? Thanks for reading. 


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